Pretend Affairs
by ThirteenStrikes
Summary: A simple misunderstanding with a new hospital donor puts Cameron and Thirteen in a very awkward situation.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I have no medical experience whatsoever. Everything here is based on very, very – I repeat – _very_, loose research that may not make any sense when put together. So let me deeply apologize for my lack of knowledge in the medical field.

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters of House MD.

Otherwise... Here goes!

* * *

><p>Chapter 1<p>

"Forty-year-old with high fever and headaches, showing symptoms of pneumonia but not responding to prescriptions for the past two weeks–"

"Not interested," House replied in a distracted tone, without even giving his boss a glance. He was very much occupied with throwing 'bally' up and down with the handle of his cane as he stood in the middle of the Diagnostics office. His team was scattered about, quietly reading medical journals and falling asleep in their seats.

"House, this is someone important!" Cuddy tried to catch his attention again. Taub, who had been taking a nap, suddenly stirred at the older woman's voice. The other three doctors looked up as well.

"What's the patient's name?" House asked distractedly, trying to do a couple of neat tricks. He threw the ball behind his back and managed to catch it again as it fell.

"Mr. James Martin."

"Don' know him."

"He's one of today's leading gay rights activists, and I _need_ you to stop fooling around–" She grabbed the toy as it was in mid-air and chucked it aside, nearly hitting Taub in the face. "– and find out what is wrong with him."

The man pouted at the loss of his source of entertainment. But in a moment of improvisation, he decided to just practice balancing his cane at the tip of his fingers. Throwing the ball up and down was beginning to get boring anyway.

"Have you checked for AIDS yet?" House's voice dripped with sarcasm, knowing fully well that the question itself would rile her up.

"No traces of HIV in his blood," she deadpanned, watching with irritation as the diagnostician began twirling his cane like a baton.

"Are you _really_ sure it's not pneumonia?"

His tone however, failed to amuse her. "House, in case you haven't noticed, Mr. Martin is a very important and influential man. He traveled here from New York for a meeting with the governor for heaven's sake! Do you not watch the news at all?"

"Hmm... I'm not gay so he doesn't matter much to me." He turned to look at Thirteen. "Do _you_ know him?" Remy was going to nod, but was promptly interrupted by Cuddy.

"Just find out what is wrong with him," she snapped sharply. "Every test, every treatment must run by _me_ before any action is taken." She slammed the file on the glass table, fuming to the point that all four of her employees found themselves sinking back into their seats.

"Jeez, you don't have to be so–"

House was momentarily interrupted by the sound of someone entering the office. Six pairs of eyes snapped up to see the blonde ER head walk in. "What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

"I paged Cameron. She's going to be helping out with this case." House scrunched up his face a little in disapproval, knowing that she was also beckoned to keep him in check.

Cuddy, however, had no time to listen to his whining. As she headed for the door, she addressed the entire Diagnostics team, "Make sure he doesn't do anything idiotic and _please_ cure the patient in time. If he doesn't cooperate, let me know and I'll hold back on his salary for the next six months. And maybe take away his parking space."

"Hey!"

He was going to protest more but his boss had already left the room. Sighing heavily, he plopped down on a chair at the end of the table, but made no motion to read the patient's file. Cameron went ahead and took the seat next to Taub and opposite of the other woman on the team. Chase eyed her cautiously, but then quickly looked away.

"So you know who this Martin guy is?" House asked Thirteen again.

The brunette nodded. "I've been to one of his talks. He's actually done a lot for the LGBT community."

Taking the initiative, since no one else seemed to be doing so, Cameron reached for the file and began reading. "Fever, headaches, chills. But not responding to azithromycin or gemifloxacin."

"It's obviously not pneumonia," said Foreman definitively.

"Fungal infection?" Taub threw in a guess.

"Could be. Then we'll have to ask for his travel history and go search his home." The Australian doc mentally prepared himself for breaking into someone's private property once again.

"Wait, has he ever been given any form of tetracycline?" Thirteen asked.

Cameron scanned the pages in the file critically. "Doesn't seem to say so."

"Treat him with doxycycline while we question him and search his home?" Thirteen directed the question at House. The entire table of doctors waited on him as he his eyes darted about the table, obviously with something on his mind that was distracting him. Then he finally nodded. "Foreman, Chase, drive up to New York and search his place. Thirty-One and Taub, get more information out of Mr. Gay Bigshot. Cameron, prepare the doxycycline treatment."

The team broke and left House alone with his thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Leptospirosis."<p>

That was what the patient turned out to have, as proved by the second onset of symptoms, including jaundiced eyes, abdominal pain, and a rash under his arm. Apparently, a group of homophobes broke into his apartment in New York and left a bag of dead, infected rats under his kitchen sink. The NYPD currently have a number of suspects under investigation, one of them being a powerbroker who often bitterly denounced Mr. Martin and his gay rights campaign. Fortunately, the team managed to figure out the correct diagnosis before Mr. Martin's condition became any worse than it already was.

"Shoot him up with antibiotics and have him under dialysis," House gave the final call, without even a glance up from his PSP.

After two weeks of dialysis, the patient showed great signs of improvement. One day, when Thirteen entered the his room to check on his vitals, she saw that he was up and awake, reading a newspaper.

"Good afternoon Mr. Martin. How are you feeling?"

Despite feeling weary, he put slowly away his paper and smiled. "Much better, that's for sure."

"Good." Remy walked over to examine the machine at his bedside. "I'm just checking to see if everything is alright. You should be good to go by tomorrow morning."

"That's great. Thank you very much Doctor Hadley!"

Over the course of his stay, they had gotten to talk briefly during the intervals of Remy coming in and out of his room. The doctor had shown much appreciation for his efforts, and mentioned that she attended one of his talks a while back. Mr. Martin was as amiable as he was articulate with his beliefs, and undoubtedly an admirable figure.

As Thirteen was studying his heart beat with her stethoscope, Cameron entered the room and greeted him with a bright smile. "Hi Mr. Martin. I hope you're feeling better today."

"Why, as a matter of fact, I am. Thank you, Doctor Cameron." Thirteen glanced up at the blonde and smiled subtly, before turning back to examine the patient.

"I'm just going to make a couple of notes here..." the ER attending informed him as she took the chart at the foot of his bed.

When she was done giving Mr. Martin his check-up, Remy hung her stethoscope around her neck and watched with slight amusement as Cameron began searching around for a pen. The brunette reached for one in her pocket and held it out. "Here."

At the sound of her colleague's voice, Allison looked up and smiled. "Thanks."

"Heart rate of seventy-six bpm. One-twenty, eighty mmHg," Thirteen answered her before she even got the chance to ask the question.

Cameron jotted the information down. "And...how long–"

"This is his second treatment for the day." Remy looked at her watch. "It'll be done in about an hour or so." She gave Mr. Martin a reassuring smile.

"Then you'll be ready to go by tomorrow," Cameron said optimistically.

"We're going to send you off with several prescriptions of antibiotics and medication to help ease any headaches or nausea," Thirteen noted.

"I've already sent the list to the pharmacy," Cameron told her colleague. "I'm sure they'll have it all prepared by tonight."

"Then I can bring them up here before heading out." The brunette turned to their patient. "And you won't have to wait around all morning when you check out tomorrow."

Despite still feeling frail and a tad bit sickly, Mr. Martin felt at ease at the presence of such wonderful, attentive doctors. "Thank you _so_ much Doctor Hadley, Doctor Cameron." He couldn't be more grateful.

"No problem," Cameron spoke for the both of them.

Remy's gaze lingered on the blonde momentarily, before a swift glance through the glass walls reminded her of one more thing she had to do. "Excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back."

Cameron looked up from her writing, curious to see where her colleague was heading to so urgently, but soon understood that she was probably going to talk to Cuddy, who just happened to pass by. Thirteen quietly slid out of the room and walked briskly to catch the Dean of Medicine before she left the vicinity. The other guys on the team didn't seem to care too much about reporting back to their boss about their patient, but Thirteen knew better and decided that it was important to keep her updated, especially when the person they were treating was someone with such a big name.

"Doctor Cuddy."

The older woman halted in her tracks and turned around. "Doctor Hadley," she greeted with a little unease. She never knew what to expect when one of House's lackeys wanted to speak with her, and out of habit she often mentally prepared herself for the worst. But noting the slightly amused smile on Thirteen's face, she presumed that this was not going to be bad news.

"Mr. Martin's condition has improved significantly with the dialysis treatment. He should be well enough to check out of the hospital by tomorrow morning," she informed. Cuddy felt a wave of relief wash over her. She let out a sigh and her shoulders relaxed noticeably.

"Good. That's good to hear." The dean turned and began heading towards Mr. Martin's room, prompting Thirteen to follow. As they approached, they looked through the glass and saw Cameron chatting with him. "I seriously don't know what I'd do if I don't have you two to keep House in line. The other three would let him do whatever he wanted."

Remy let out a chuckle. "I'm sure."

* * *

><p>Inside, Cameron had just finished taking down any necessary notes on the patient's chart. "Are you doing alright? Anything else I can do for you?" she asked.<p>

Mr. Martin shook his head lightly. "Thank you Doctor Cameron. I think I'll be fine." He smiled. "I think my stay at the hospital has spoiled me. I've never received so much attention in my life!" he joked.

"I doubt that's true, especially with all of your supporters out there," the blonde pointed out amusedly. Mr. Martin only smiled in response. "I think you're doing such a great thing."

"Oh, now, now. Don't flatter me with compliments, doctor. A gay man's gotta do what a gay man's gotta do!" He was grinning now. Many times, even just the thought of his work managed to make him happy. His naturally cheerful character did not seem to falter even when he was bedridden. Cameron found that his warm smile was contagious.

As the blonde was setting the chart back at the end of the patient's bed, she took a glance out through the glass walls and saw that Thirteen had managed to catch Cuddy, and was now engaged in a conversation with her. She wondered for a brief moment what they were talking about, and guessed that it must be one of two things: House, or their patient.

"So how long have you two been together?"

Allison immediately snapped her head up at the question, confusion written all over her face. _'What?' _"Uh... Excuse me...?" She stared at Mr. Martin long and hard, but he only chuckled.

"I'm sorry, I know this is really nosy of me. But I really can't help it when I see such an adorable couple. You just look so _cute_ together!" If Cameron wasn't mistaken, he sounded like he was on the verge of gushing. But about what? "If you don't mind me asking though... How long have you been together?"

Cameron was completely caught off guard. "I..." What in the world was this man talking about? She wondered briefly if the medication they had given him had temporarily made him delusional. "Who?" she asked, a slender brow slightly raised.

"Why, you and Doctor Hadley of course!"

* * *

><p>- end chapter -<p>

Should've known that I couldn't stay away from Camteen for so long.  
>Let me know what you think.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

:D

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

Allison literally froze in place for a couple of seconds. She could hardly believe what was coming out of the man's mouth. After a while, she began shaking her head. "Oh no...no..." She let out a nervous chuckle. "We're not..."

"Oh Doctor Cameron!" Mr. Martin called affectionately. "No need to be shy now! I know what people say about dating in the workplace. But seriously, what does it matter? When you like someone, you like someone!"

Allison however, shook her head again. "No... No, _really_ Mr. Martin. We're not–"

"Now, now, there's no need to hide. I understand," he told her reassuringly. "Of all people, I would understand."

All of a sudden, Allison found herself in an embarrassingly compromising situation. But just as she was about to speak up again to correct him, they heard the door slide open, and very soon they were joined by the Dean of Medicine and Doctor Hadley herself. The ER attending looked up at them with wide eyes.

"Ah, so nice to see you Doctor Cuddy! And I'm glad you're back Doctor Hadley. I was just telling Doctor Cameron here how _lovely_ of a couple you are!" he remarked, clasping his hands together.

All three women gaped at him with stunned expressions. It took a moment to really process the words they had just heard. This was so ridiculous – they didn't even know where to begin. As they stood there speechless, Mr. Martin, instead of taking a hint, took their silence as an opportunity to continue on. "Oh it's just absolutely _wonderful _to see such great improvements! You have no idea how much this means to me – to see an institution so tolerant of same-sex relationships! I'm genuinely surprised. Not a lot of bosses have that capacity to be so understanding nowadays! But you, Doctor Cuddy, I simply adore you for being so open-minded about these kinds of issues in your hospital!"

However, Cuddy still couldn't find a word to say, while Cameron felt blood rush to her cheeks. Seeing the expression on her colleague's face, Remy made an attempt to salvage the situation. "Mr. Martin, we're really not–"

"Oh hush! It's okay! I am _positive_ that Doctor Cuddy approves! I must say, I am absolutely impressed by this hospital you run here. _Excellent_, _outstanding_ doctors and staff!" The man grew more and more passionate as he spoke. "Oh Doctor Cuddy, seeing your hospital has been so inspiring for me. To see such positive changes... I know this is a bit unexpected, but please, I hope you would take my donation as a parting gift. I will tell my secretary to send in a check for five million dollars next week."

Both Cameron and Thirteen gaped even wider. The dean, however, finally managed to find her voice. "Oh thank you so, _so_ much Mr. Martin! I... I don't know what to say... We really can't thank you enough!" Cuddy was ecstatic. Just think of all she could do for PPTH with five _million _dollars!

"Doctor Cuddy, I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life. I trust that with more funding, you will be able to make your hospital even greater than it already is... I am just so genuinely touched to see the Dean of Medicine openly approve of same-sex relationships. Doctor Cameron, Doctor Hadley, you are very lucky to have this amazing lady as your boss!"

The doctors he addressed still couldn't manage a single word out of their mouths. What happened in the past few minutes failed to make any sense or connection in their brains whatsoever. And dragging it on was only making it worse.

But the two women were in the least of Cuddy's concerns at the moment. Clearly.

"Thank you _so_ much Mr. Martin! We thank you. The entire hospital thanks you!"

"Oh, you are more than welcome!" He replied with a wave of his hand. "And in addition to that donation, it is also my pleasure to invite you and the entire Diagnostics team to a party this coming Saturday. People from my staff are having a get-together to welcome me back. I _really_ hope you will come," he said almost pleadingly. "And you too Doctor Cameron! I know you're not officially under the title of Doctor House's employees, but I'm sure Doctor Hadley would be more than happy to bring you along." He gave her a wink.

Both Cameron and Thirteen flushed red. Oh boy, this was getting a little out of control.

Remy cleared her throat nervously. "Well, we would love to come, but see, we aren't exactly –"

"Yes! We should _all_ go!" Cuddy interrupted immediately. She turned to her two employees to see incredulous expressions on their faces, much in contrast to her own. "The whole team has Saturday off anyway, and Cameron, you won't have to come in for your evening shift. It's perfect!" she remarked excitedly. "Oh Mr. Martin, thank you _so_ much for your generosity. We are _very_ grateful."

The man beamed at them. "You are most welcome," was his simple response.

This was unbelievable. At that moment, Thirteen met Cameron's gaze and they stared at each other anxiously. Before either of them could say anything though, they heard a shrill ringtone coming from a cellphone. The three women watched as Mr. Martin reached for the vibrating device on his bedside table. He took a look at the screen. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," he told them apologetically. The doctors nodded and began heading out of the room to give him some privacy. "I'll tell my secretary to send you the details for the party," Mr. Martin added enthusiastically. As he answered the phone and began talking, he waved goodbye to the three doctors.

In distress, Thirteen and Cameron followed their boss out of the room. "Doctor Cuddy... Is it necessary that we –"

"YES. Did you hear how much he's going to give?" Cuddy looked back at Cameron as they walked. "Think of all the supplies we could get! We are definitely going to that party."

"I meant..." Allison hesitated. "The thing is, Doctor Hadley and I aren't exactly –"

Cuddy whipped around suddenly, almost crashing into the ER attending, and in turn, almost causing Thirteen to bump into her. "NO!" the dean nearly shouted. Both employees watched her with their eyebrows raised, while a couple of people passing by in the hallway momentarily ceased in their steps to see what was going on. Becoming aware that all eyes were on her, Cuddy toned her voice down a little. "I meant..." she began. "This is one of the main reasons why he's even giving money, you know. So it would be great if you two could just play along for the time being..."

"Doctor Cuddy... I don't think..."

"Please, Cameron," she pleaded. "The money is good for the hospital, and he's willing to donate. We need it for supplies, new equipment, upgrades... Our facilities and accommodations for the patients can improve so much," the older woman tried to reason with her. "And besides... I _do_ happen to be quite open-minded about these sorts of things," Cuddy joked in a good-natured tone, while looking back and forth between Allison and Remy suggestively. They blushed again at her implications, even when they knew that she wasn't being serious at all.

"Don't worry girls. It's just one party, and we're only going to stop by for a while," she reassured them. "And I think you two can stand each other for one evening." She gave them a final smirk before turning to head back to her office, leaving her two employees standing idly by the nurses's station.

All this time Remy had remained quiet. The thing was... she really didn't mind. She had no problem pretending to be in a relationship with a female co-worker (especially when she was such an attractive one). She was only concerned with how Cameron felt.

After losing sight of Cuddy, the two other women looked at each other, smiling weakly. Thirteen attempted to ease the situation a little. "Hey, it _is _five million dollars," she said with a shrug. The both of them laughed.

"We should get a percentage of that," Cameron remarked. It was only fair that they did, especially when Mr. Martin's donation more or less depended on the two of them.

"I think I'll ask Cuddy for a few weeks off."

Allison nodded. "That's a good idea. I really feel the need for a break. The ER has been driving me crazy lately."

They took a good look around, watching as other doctors and nurses rushed in and out urgently. The hospital environment can be a little too much sometimes, even when they've already learned to cope with it.

"Well..." Thirteen covered her mouth and yawned. "I'm gonna head home. This last case sorta wore me out."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

Remy sent her a charming smile. "See you around Doctor Cameron." Trying not to let her gaze linger on the blonde for too long, Thirteen turned around and headed out.

* * *

><p>"What about two weeks."<p>

"Two weeks? No, that's too long."

"What?" Thirteen asked with disbelief. "Five million dollars isn't worth giving us two weeks off?"

Cuddy looked up from scribbling on a piece of paper. She rested her head in her hand and furrowed her brows as she thought of a way to negotiate with her employee. A downside to having someone work for House was that they learn not to be afraid of asking the dean for anything, much less _defy_ her rules at times. "Ten days," she finally offered.

But when Thirteen didn't look all too pleased with the answer, Cuddy pursed her lips. "Cameron's the head of the ER, and I need you on the team to keep House from endangering anyone. Ten days is the longest I can allow you to leave," she spoke unconditionally.

Remy stared at her boss as she thought for a while. "Fine, we'll take it."

Cuddy sighed and rolled her eyes, and Thirteen couldn't help but smirk. "We're doing a huge favor for the hospital, Doctor Cuddy. Don't you forget that."

"I don't think you two would let me anyway, Doctor Hadley."

Remy smiled and turned to leave the dean's office.

* * *

><p>"Doctor Cuddy."<p>

Allison entered the elevator to find herself sharing it with her boss. "Cameron," the dean greeted formally. She watched as the blonde diligently went over a couple of patients's files in her hands.

"Thirteen has...convinced me to give you both ten days off, in compensation for tomorrow." She didn't seem all too excited about delivering the news.

Cameron grinned at the pleasant surprise. "Is five million only worth ten days?" The comment earned an eye roll from the older woman.

"How about also earning my respect," Cuddy added dryly.

"Hmmm..." Allison put a finger to her chin. "How about working in a little extra something?" she questioned with a hint of slyness.

Cuddy thought for a while, but knew fully well that Cameron had the right to negotiate. The stakes are high here people. Cameron and Thirteen were practically the main reason why Mr. Martin planned to donate to the hospital – or at least, they helped ensure the donation. It would look really bad if he found out that Cuddy had never even bothered to think about same-sex relationships at PPTH in the first place...

"Maybe... plane tickets...?" the blonde finally asked.

Cuddy stared at her incredulously, with an 'Are you serious?' expression on her face. But Cameron merely raised her eyebrows.

A 'ding' sounded and the elevator doors opened soon after.

"We'll see."

* * *

><p>After spending the morning doing House's charting, and the afternoon working off his clinic hours, Remy decided that is was time to call it a day. As she passed by the nurses's station en route to the locker rooms, a voice calling her name stopped her in her tracks.<p>

"Doctor Hadley."

"Yes?" She turned to find Doctor Cuddy walking by.

"I shall be expecting you and Doctor Cameron at the party tomorrow night," she reminded.

Thirteen widened her eyes at remembering the important event. "Of course." She straightened up and acted as though she didn't forget in the first place. "If the deal's still on, that is."

"It is," she confirmed. "And...with much reluctance... I am also informing you that Doctor Cameron has persuaded me to let the hospital pay for your plane tickets or any alternative travel fares if you wish to go somewhere during this little...break of yours."

Remy didn't even bother to hide her grin. Awesome. "Thank you very much Doctor Cuddy. I truly appreciate your generosity."

The dean tried not to smile. "Tomorrow. Be there. And make sure you arrive with Cameron attached to your hip." She waved a chiding finger at her.

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p>"Hey."<p>

Allison looked over her shoulder to see Thirteen catching up beside her. "Hi." She noticed that both of them seemed to be heading out at the same time. The exited the lobby and stepped out of the hospital together, walking towards the car park.

Neither of them spoke up. They were never particularly chatty, both inside and outside of work. It was a long day... both of them were tired... and they never talked much to begin with... – the list of reasons why there was no conversation between them went on and on. The truth of the situation was, they didn't even know what to say, or where to begin. But eventually, it was Remy who broke the silence.

"So... I guess I'll pick you up tomorrow?" she asked with extreme uncertainty. She'd never brought a pretend-date to a party before, and was still wary of how comfortable Cameron was with all this.

"Um, yeah. Sure," came a tentative response.

"At around seven?"

"Sure."

They soon fell quiet and continued walking together until they reached Cameron's car, with their minds obviously occupied with the upcoming event.

"Thirteen?"

"Yes?"

"What... What should I wear tomorrow?"

With the way Cameron was looking at her like a lost puppy, Remy couldn't help but laugh out loud. The blonde crossed her arms defensively. "Well, I just... It's just that... I..." she tried to explain herself without sounding like an idiot.

Thirteen struggled a bit to contain her laughter. "It's just that you're not sure what type of clothes lesbians wear?" she asked knowingly.

Allison blushed and averted her eyes to the ground in embarrassment. At this, Remy grinned. "Cameron... Lesbians are women too." She thought of a whole bunch of other things to tell the blonde doctor, with hopes of maybe correcting any of her assumptions about gay people, but she figured that it was too much information for now, so much that she shouldn't even bother. "Just... wear what you normally wear to a party." Thirteen's tone was understanding and friendly. "A nice dress, with heels. Simple enough?"

Cameron smiled. "I can do that."

They both exchanged phone numbers and Allison gave Remy her address.

"So, tomorrow," the brunette reminded playfully as she began walking away.

Allison chuckled.

"Tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

I just want to thank everyone for reading, as well as all the _lovely_ reviews and feedback. They keep me going. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

"Hmm... What to wear, what to wear..." Remy mumbled to herself as she searched around her dresser, clad only in her underwear and bra. She had just finished drying her hair after a hot shower, and was now preoccupied with deciding which article of clothing was considered 'semi-formal' and suitable enough for the evening's event. It was just a simple party – no need to be overdressed now. But then again... this was Mr. Martin. There's bound to be a number of other important people attending. And then there's also the desire to look decent enough for Cameron...

Remy sighed. She seriously wondered what the blonde thought of all of this. She hoped that tonight wasn't going to be too awkward between the both of them. Let's face it, they weren't exactly BFFs... and to be thrown together all of a sudden and marked as a _couple_ was a bit too fast for their liking. And let's not forget Cameron's general straightness. Remy was fine with it, but Allison might not be too comfortable dating a woman – even if it was just for pretend.

After a few more moments of searching, Thirteen pulled on a dark pair of fitting pants, as well as a nice grey blouse. She did her make-up lightly, and remembered to spray on some cologne. As she snapped on her favorite suspenders, she made a mental note at the back of her head to watch her hands throughout the evening, and to make sure that she doesn't take advantage of Cameron in any way. Just because she now had a valid excuse to do so didn't mean that she could. It was going to be hard because an extremely attractive woman would be standing close within her proximity for a considerable period of the evening. The thought alone made her a tad bit uneasy. She knew that she would just have to try to behave herself.

After slipping her shoes on, she put on a blazer and neatly rolled up its sleeves. Before leaving, she took one final look in the mirror to examine her entire outfit. If she had to be honest with herself...she looked pretty damn good. Remy smirked at her reflection, then turned to head out. She wouldn't want to be late in picking her "girlfriend" up.

_'Oh I wish she was my girlfriend_...'

Remy paused at that thought and frowned. No, she can't be having these thoughts. She had done so well repressing and avoiding them the past year and a half.

_'It's okay. Just...try not to think too much about it_. _We're just pretending. No big deal'_

Maybe if she reiterated it a couple of times in her mind, it would stick throughout the rest of the evening.

_'Just one party, and then it's done.'_

After checking the time, she quickly grabbed her car keys and headed out of her apartment.

Hopefully, tonight won't be too painful.

* * *

><p>Never would she have imagined herself ending up in a relationship with a woman.<p>

Sure, it was just for one night, and she knew that this was fake – but they were still going to carry out all the actions of being in a real relationship. Or at least that was what they were supposed to do, since that was what Mr. Martin probably expected to see them do. It's ridiculous how this ended up happening. Darn Cuddy for not allowing them to correct him. Just because he was willing to donate five million dollars...

Allison paced about her closet as her eyes scanned for a decent dress. Nothing too frilly. Something that was just the right amount of formal and casual. In any case, overdressing a little was definitely better than underdressing.

"A nice dress... A nice dress..." she subconsciously repeated Remy's words from the previous day. "Something I would normally wear to a party..."

Taking a glance at the clock, she realized that she had to be ready soon. She sighed and just decided on a simple but elegant, light blue party dress, with a hand purse to match. As she meticulously put on her make-up and accessories, she couldn't help but wonder what Thirteen was going to wear. She blushed from embarrassment as she remembered their conversation at the car park. Allison had to admit, she was pretty much clueless about the culture and style of the non-straight population, other than the stereotypes she'd seen on television – which was not exactly a valid kind of knowledge in the first place.

When Allison was more or less done with dressing up, she stood in front of a full-length mirror to study herself. Despite liking what she saw, she couldn't help but feel nervous about the evening's event. Rather, she couldn't help feeling nervous about being Thirteen's pretend girlfriend. It wasn't because she was required to fake a relationship – she was single at the moment so any boyfriend who would find this plan problematic was nonexistent. However, she knew that Doctor Hadley was bisexual, and that made her slightly uncomfortable in the strangest sense. She did not mind Thirteen's sexuality at all, but the fact that the brunette could potentially be attracted to her prompted her to feel a bit more self-conscious. And an even more concerning idea was what other people would be saying and thinking about her when they saw her with a woman.

_'Oh stop it. I'll be okay. Half of the people there won't even know who I am.' _she reassured herself. '_And most of them are probably going to be...gay anyway...'_

It's just for one night. No biggie.

_'Just doing a favor for the hospital.'_ she thought to herself as she fixed her hair.

At that very moment, she heard three knocks on her door. Her heart skipped a beat. Thirteen was a little early. After taking one final glance at her reflection, she hurried to the front door. A few steps before reaching it, she thought of maybe taking a deep breath first before flinging it open, but then decided the last second that she should just get this all over with. She opened the door and looked up with surprise.

Doctor Hadley stood on the other side of the threshold, looking remarkable sharp and smart, with her hands resting in her back pockets.

"Hi," the younger woman greeted shyly. It was an interesting contrast to her usual cool and direct demeanor that she often showed at work.

Allison reciprocated with a similar timid smile. "Hi."

Remy took the opportunity to swiftly look her colleague up and down, as she made a conscious effort not to stare too long at the same time. "Wow, you look great," she told her with a genuine smile, after having concluded that the terms 'gorgeous' and 'amazing' were a bit too much for the moment, and therefore inappropriate.

Allison felt a blush creep up to her cheeks. "Thanks... You look great too." She really did. Cameron was a bit amazed at how good the brunette looked in a blazer.

"So... you ready to go?" Remy asked with a slight shrug of a shoulder.

"Umm..." Cameron turned around and quickly found her purse and keys at a nearby table. "Yes."

They both left the apartment and got into Thirteen's car. Remy made sure to hurry ahead to help her open the passenger's door. Allison smiled at this gesture. "Thank you."

"No problem."

Thirteen pulled into the street and drove towards the hotel where the party was going to be held. Even when she faced the road, she watched Cameron out the of the corner of her eye to make sure she was okay. The blonde seemed to be squirming slightly in her seat. It bothered Remy to see her so ill-at-ease.

"Relax," she offered in a lighthearted tone.

Allison's eyes snapped up at discovering that her colleague had noticed her discomfort. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, and adjusted her back to the car seat. Observing that she looked a little better, Remy spoke up, "Come on. Think of how fun it'll be to make things up. Like storytelling almost."

Cameron chuckled a little and eased up slowly but noticeably. "A part of me still finds it a little ridiculous that we have to do this," she told her colleague. "I suppose we'll have to be good with keeping everything consistent then." They both laughed lightly at the thought of confusing anyone they meet with completely different answers to the same question. "Okay then. What should I know about us as a couple?" the blonde asked with a small grin.

Remy smiled. "Hmmm. Okay, let's discuss the details. How long have we been together?"

"About a year?"

"I think it'd look better if we were a bit more serious," Thirteen responded. "Maybe two and a half."

"Okay. And what else?"

They slowly stopped at a red light and Remy looked over at her companion as she thought. "Well, maybe we should learn things about each other too," she suggested. "For example... I like to travel, preferably abroad, around Asia, and I like learning about other cultures. I _always_ drink decaf. I love to eat, and I love your cooking specifically."

Allison smiled at that. "Actually, I'm not that bad of a cook," she argued.

"Really? You'll have to teach me some time. I can be pretty clueless in the kitchen."

They exchanged another small smile.

"Okay," Allison began. "Well, I read a lot, preferably romance and adventure stories. I've never been out of the country before. And... I'm both a coffee and a tea person – it really depends on my mood," she told her. The tone of their conversation was growing increasingly casual, and helped alleviate any previous uneasiness. "Okay, your turn again," the blonde prompted. She was actually very much interested in learning more about the allusive Doctor Hadley as a person.

The light at the intersection turned green and Remy stepped on the gas pedal again. "Hmmm... What else..." She searched her mind for anything else that she could tell about herself, but didn't find much that she considered the least bit interesting. "Well... I do like partying and going out for drinks once in a while, although there are times when I prefer a quiet evening at home. I do love to play billiards..." she told her colleague. "...but you've never beaten me at it, not once," she decided to add with a smirk. "I sometimes snore, and you tease me about it. How about that?"

They both giggled. "Okay, okay." Allison began thinking of some of her own distinct attributes. "Well, I don't think I'm that bad at billiards - I'll have to really play you some time. I like to go running, and I often drag you along with me if I can. I want a dog but you want a cat."

"No, I want a dog too!" Thirteen interjected.

"Fine, we both want a dog, but just never had the time to go adopt one," the older doctor decided.

"German shepherd."

"Golden retriever!"

Remy grinned widely. "Okay, we both want a dog but can't decide on which breed."

They smiled at each other. They had a feeling that tonight _was_ going to be fun.

* * *

><p>When they arrived, Thirteen carefully parked the car and turned off the engine. She turned to look at Cameron, who sat idly in the passenger seat.<p>

"Nervous?"

The older woman bit her lip. "Just a little," she had to admit. Now that they've arrived at the hotel, she suddenly began to feel the restlessness catching up to her again. "I'm not a very good actress under pressure."

Remy took off her seat belt and Allison followed suit. "Don't worry. We'll have a lot of fun." She shot her companion a reassuring smile before exiting the vehicle. The younger doctor's laid-back mood definitely helped her relax. After locking up the car, they slowly made their way to the hotel entrance.

"Here." Thirteen offered Cameron her arm and waited for her to take it. "There we go. Gotta make it believable now."

They walked through a set of fancy double doors, held open by two bellhops, and strolled into the lobby. Remy felt countless pairs of eyes on them but merely shrugged them off, while Allison was becoming more and more self-conscious by the second. She tried to look straight ahead and ignore anyone who might be staring in their direction.

"I think... I'm going to stick with you the entire night," she said, standing even closer to the brunette.

Remy caught the tone of uncertainty in her voice. "Okay," she answered. "I'll take care of you."

They followed the signs and found the hall in which Mr. Martin's party was held. The two of them stopped briefly before they walked through the wide-set doors. Cameron exhaled deeply, subconsciously gripping tighter onto Remy's arm.

The brunette flashed her a grin. "For five million dollars."

Allison smiled back. "For five million dollars."


	4. Chapter 4

Hello dear readers. I hope that my failure to update fast has not driven too many of you away..! Here is an extra long chapter, accompanied with my sincerest apologies.  
>Hope you all are having a great summer so far. :)<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

The couple was greeted almost as soon as they stepped foot into the room. Not even five seconds into the party and they were already spotted by Mr. Martin himself. They watched as he approached them steadily, giving both women big and tight hugs when he got to them.

"Oh I'm _so_ glad you two could make it!" He had the biggest, brightest smile on his face. "Oh, I've got so many people I want to introduce you to!"

Both Thirteen and Cameron managed to share a look before they were dragged off by the man. The room was fairly crowded and they had to weave through multiple tables and bodies. As predicted, there was a majority of non-straight people scattered all about. The entire surrounding atmosphere was that of lighthearted conversation and laughter. Mr. Martin had introduced Allison and Remy as a couple to what seemed like every other person in the room, enthusiastically noting that they were doctors who helped save his life. The two women only smiled and shook everyone's hands, hoping that Mr. Martin would do most of the talking for them.

"Aren't they the cutest couple _ever_! Just look at them!"

It was Remy who thanked him for the endless compliments, while Allison smiled uneasily at his remarks. Unfortunately, a quick and simple introduction wasn't enough; people always ended up inquiring more about their relationship.

"So how long have you been together?"

"Oh... about two and a half years..."

"Must've been difficult when you first started out huh? Especially working at the same hospital and all. I mean, I can't imagine dealing with all the gossips and prejudices and such."

Cameron and Thirteen looked at each other, unsure of how to reply. Lucky for them, Mr. Martin came in to save the situation, even if it was unknowingly so. "Oh, Doctor Cuddy is totally supportive of gay relationships! I know, isn't that just _fantastic_?"

And that was how the beginning of their evening went – following Mr. Martin around and attempting to act as natural as they possibly could. Eventually, while he was momentarily distracted by a couple of newcomers, they were given a break as they bee-lined for a table where Cuddy and some others were sitting. With the way they were in such a hurry, one would think that they were running away from something.

There was an interesting contrast in greetings. Cameron and Thirteen had somewhat disconcerted looks on their faces, while Cuddy didn't seem all too worried. To the two women's utmost dismay, House was sitting right next to her with the biggest grin that they have ever seen on his unshaven face. Just when they thought that things couldn't get any worst, they realized that Foreman and Chase were at the table too, along with Taub and his wife. The black doctor and the Aussie were sporting horrified expressions that they didn't even bother hiding.

"Cuddy told us..." Foreman began hesitantly, his eyes glued to Cameron's hand on Thirteen's arm.

"Told us how you hooked up that one night," House added impishly. Remy rolled her eyes as Allison mentally prepared herself for more crude comments to come.

Chase was scrutinizing the two women's proximity, and he frowned. True, Cameron was no longer his 'girlfriend' after they broke off their friends-with-benefits agreement, but the jealousy was bound to happen. The blonde woman knew that he might get a little territorial, but chose not to take any heed because she knew that he was only being childish. Remy and Allison took a seat next to Cuddy, sighing quietly as they did.

"You owe us," the brunette reminded her boss again.

"I know, I know."

They sat for a minute, looking around to scope out the party, all while avoiding eye contact with Mr. Martin. Remy bit her lip and tried to keep herself from smiling at Allison's wide eyes when a transgendered man walked by.

"So..." House began all of a sudden, in a strangely perky voice. "Who's in the mood for PDA?"

At this, almost everyone at the table widened their eyes, while Cuddy hit him in the arm even though she actually found the comment amusing. Thirteen and Cameron just chose not to say anything. There was a moment of extreme awkwardness that came after – a prolonged stretch of silence and nervous glances. Luckily, Mr. Martin chose this moment to swoop Thirteen and Cameron off to more introductions and hand-shaking.

"Oh Doctor Cameron and Doctor Hadley! A few more of my colleagues have just arrived. I'd absolutely _love_ for you to meet them!"

"Of course!"

Thirteen faked an eager smile and got up from her seat. She held out a hand for Allison to take, feeling extremely aware that everyone else's eyes were on them. After a brief moment of hesitation that lasted for a split second, the blonde woman took the offered hand and gave her a small smile. Together, they welcomed the escape from sitting at the table with House, while also anticipating the necessary fabrications of their faux relationship that they were going to have to tell. Allison was clutching Remy's hand a tad bit too tightly, but the taller woman decided not to say anything about it.

The couple was promptly introduced to another small group of Mr. Martin's colleagues and friends, one of them being his secretary.

"A pleasure to meet such lovely ladies!"

"Such an honor to meet you two!"

"Oh, you are absolutely gorgeous together!"

Shy smiles and nervous chuckles were shared between the two women as they timidly thanked them for their compliments. Fortunately, in the moments when they were spoken to as individuals, they were able to chat at ease, as they were able to talk about themselves truthfully.

"I'm an immunologist, actually."

"I specialize in internal medicine."

Their listeners were obviously very much impressed by their professions. They were seen as two, highly respected intellectuals who were exceptional doctors. Mr. Martin and his friends openly admired the couple, which led the two women to fear that they might be the talk of the night. That was why they agreed through exchanged whispers that they would try to step away from each other once in a while, so that the two of them as a couple wouldn't be such an automatic topic. However... their plan failed to work as well as they desired; the conversations almost always wounded up back to the two women as girlfriends.

"And you two met at the hospital?"

"Oh you just look _so_ good together!"

"Wait, _how_ long have you been together again?"

Very soon though, all that talking and recounting had made their mouths dry. Cameron turned to Thirteen and saw that she was still in conversation with Mr. Martin's secretary. Jake or Joseph or something. The blonde thought of calling her name, but the surrounding chatter was a little too loud for her to be heard. So she excused herself, walked over to her companion and tentatively touched her elbow to call her attention.

The brunette immediately turned her head around. "Hey. You alright?" She instantly held her arm as an act of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little thirsty. Can we go grab something to drink?"

"Sure. What do you want? I'll go get it for you," Remy offered with a smile, which had Allison reciprocating after a while. A part of the older woman wondered whether Thirteen was really that genuinely nice and considerate, or whether she was only acting like a gentleman for the evening. In any case, Allison realized that she was able to take advantage of having the brunette do simple tasks for her.

"Hmm... Some punch would be nice," she finally told her pretend-girlfriend.

"Alright, I'll be right back," Remy said to her, as well as to Mr. Martin's secretary. They watched her weave through the crowd to get to the beverages.

"You know," the secretary spoke up. "I'm gay and everything...but man, your girlfriend is..." He whistled. Laughing a little at his expression, Cameron nodded along – until she spotted Thirteen amidst the crowd once more, and totally checked her out from head to toe for the very first time. She froze in place as she stared on. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, came another realization... Remy had got to be _the_ most attractive woman she had ever met. Her mind went in shock for a moment, and it was a man's voice that managed to shake her out of her daze.

"Must be good in bed huh?" the guy grinned and winked at her with exaggeration, then turned away to chat with his other friends.

Allison's mouth hung open with incredulity at his remark, being rendered completely speechless while blushing so intensely that she began to feel a little feverish. She chose not to answer nor comment, settling with averting her eyes to other groups of people socializing around them. The thoughts that he planted in her head were definitely _very_ inappropriate and uncalled for, even if it was just a brief image that flashed across her mind. As she watched the subject of her thoughts promptly return with drinks in hand, Allison attempted to shake away all the previous notions.

"Here you go." She handed a cup to Cameron, who in turn, thanked her graciously.

Remy studied her friend. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," she waved her off. "I'm fine."

Allison looked up and the two women locked eyes for a quick moment, before Thirteen broke the gaze due to something catching her attention. The blonde was a little relieved that Remy was distracted from further inquiring about her for the time being. "Well, looks like they're waving us over..." Thirteen muttered.

Cameron relented and let the taller doctor drag her along for more chatter and conversation-making. The women were beckoned by a couple of men that they had met earlier in the evening. Remy and Allison eventually learned that they were actually very nice people, and their sincerity made it easy for the doctors to be more at ease when socializing.

That is... until House decided to hobble over and make an appearance.

"Oh Thirteen," he called out with a smirk. "Why don't you tell them how you and Cameron got together?"

The two women snapped their eyes to each other and saw that the flicker of panic was mirrored. Unfortunately, the surrounding crowd thought that House's proposition was a great idea, as they cheered and urged them on to tell the story. '_Goddammit House..._' The taller doctor cleared her throat with hidden nervousness and raced her mind for plausible things to say.

"Uh... Well..." she began, casting a glance at the blonde. "I mean, we've been flirting on and off for nearly a month. And so one day, after work, I just asked her out." She shrugged and smiled timidly. '_That seemed like a good enough answer...'_

"And how could you say no, right?" one of the men grinned widely and nudged Cameron's arm. The group laughed.

Allison smiled at them nervously. "Of course. I didn't even have to think twice..."

After a little more talking, people gradually began to sit down to eat. Thirteen and Cameron decided that this was a good time to return to their table and take a breather. When they reached their colleagues, Remy made sure to pull out a chair for her companion first before sitting herself down. As she thanked her, Allison was once again surprised at how the younger woman was able to remain mindful of such trivial, but courteous gestures. It was a relief to sit down though, to be able to drop their facade for the time being, seeing as they were with their own people now and had no obligation to pretend anymore.

Thirteen picked at her food eagerly; all that conversing had definitely worked up an appetite. After several bites, she looked up and noticed House staring at her with eyes slyer than the devil himself. She returned his gaze with furrowed brows and a glare, deciding to speak up about what a bother he had been. "Doctor Cuddy, please tell House to stop interfering with us before he ruins another chance for the hospital to successfully receive a donation."

Allison grinned behind her napkin as she wiped her mouth. The Dean of Medicine however, was not all too amused at the mention of the troublesome man.

"House... I swear. Do you have _any _idea how much he's going to donate? How hard is it to sit _still_ for an evening?" She sighed with exasperated frustration. "I told you not to come, but obviously you had nothing else better to do than ruin the hospital and make my life a living hell."

Remy smirked as she continued to listen to Cuddy telling him off. "You've already insulted our patient enough times throughout his stay at PPTH. But of course, you can't even follow the simple instructions of 'Don't do anything'!" she huffed angrily. "I suggest you either leave those two alone, or go home. Frankly, I think it's better that you go."

"Oh, but what fun would it be to leave you all by your lonesome, Cuddles?" he whined. The dean only rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her dinner. He's heard her clearly and she did not find it necessary to waste her breath and repeat it twice.

At the sight of Cuddy ignoring him, House began to pout. "Aw, come on now. How can I leave? You know how much I support our resident lesbians!" he exclaimed with a smirk. "I'm totally pro gay, you know. Just count me in on any girl-on-girl action."

All three women practically rolled their eyes at the same time. "Just... _behave,_" Cuddy berated with weary finality in her voice.

House only grinned at Thirteen and Cameron, who in turn, sighed heavily and exchanged a displeased look with each other. If he kept this up, they had a feeling that it was going to be a _very _long evening.

* * *

><p>When they were finished with dinner, Allison and Remy were once again escorted by Mr. Martin to yet another group of his friends. It seemed like everyone wanted to talk to them. To be quite honest though, the two women eventually found that they were having a really good time. They've begun to get the hang of the role that they were meant to play, getting increasingly comfortable pretending to be together. Their playful back and forth bantering as they exchanged stories amused everyone to no end.<p>

"So who's the heavier sleeper?" someone had asked.

"Oh definitely her," Allison answered immediately. Chuckling, the shorter woman looked up at her friend with a glint of mischief in her bright teal eyes. "She sleeps like a rock."

"That's not fair. You do too!" the brunette countered with a slight smile. She personally found it really funny that they were making up habits as they go, and found it even funnier that her colleague was more or less spot on about her tendency to be a very deep sleeper.

"Oh! One time, she snored so loud she woke herself up!" Cameron recounted to the crowd.

"Hey, I did not!" Thirteen retorted, this time with true indignation.

The blonde only laughed along with everyone else. "I don't know what I'd do without ear plugs."

Remy rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. Fine. Two can play it that way. "Well you always steal all the sheets. And the worst part is that half of it ends up on the floor while I'm freezing my ass off on the other side of the bed!"

"Well..!" Allison tried to think up a good retort. "It's always way too cold in your room!" she complained lamely.

It felt like the more recounting of details, despite the utter falsity of the experiences in their alleged relationship, the more believable they were as a couple. They discovered that the more casual they acted, the higher the credibility of them having been together for a long time already. Interesting how that works. Especially when all the teasing seemed to help with their facade.

"I swear, she has a horrible sense of direction."

"What? I do _not_!" Cameron protested with her arms crossed.

"It's okay sweetie," Thirteen mockingly placated her with a smirk. "That's what I'm here for."

"That is so not true Remy. I probably have a better sense of direction than you do."

The taller woman merely rolled her eyes. "Well, you definitely need to work on your geography then. I asked you where the Philippines was, and you pointed to Central America."

"No way. I totally know where the Philippines is," Allison answered, getting a little defensive about her intellect.

"Sure you do."

"Hey, I don't travel as much as you do, okay?" the blonde attempted to make up an excuse. Despite the outward appearance of being in a light argument, they found this extremely entertaining. They weren't even working off a script or anything – they were just going with the flow, responding to each other as well as they could. The exciting part was that neither of them was certain of what the other would say next, and they had to prepare themselves with a verbal comeback that would appear most natural. Because of this, it was surprising how they managed to be so in sync during their conversations, as if they knew exactly what to say to each other – even if it consisted mostly of bickering.

"At least I know how to cook," Allison muttered, but it was loud enough for everyone around to hear and start laughing.

"Hey, I know how to cook!"

"Are you sure making a sandwich counts?" Cameron asked with a grin. "Remember that time you tried to make me breakfast? You barely got the toaster to work."

Thirteen's mouth hung open with disbelief. "What!" Apparently, now she was an incompetent girlfriend. Damn, the ER head knew exactly how to bite her back. "That's ridiculous! You're making it all up!"

In a split second, their eyes met and they couldn't help but grin at each other.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening proceeded in a similar fashion of playful spat, which their company thoroughly enjoyed. Cuddy was good on keeping House out of the way, so the two women didn't have to witness any more of his inappropriate comments that could've potentially ruined their pretend relationship. But as much fun as they were having, it was getting late, and they figured that it was about time that they leave the party. After all, they did have work the next morning.<p>

By the time Allison and Remy had said their goodbyes – prolonged significantly by Mr. Martin, who spent five minutes on a failed attempt at persuading them to stay longer – the rest of the team including House and Cuddy had already left the party. Foreman and Chase were more than happy to head on home and try to forget that the evening had ever happened, as they were feeling rather grumpy and displeased at having to see the two women together. The moment that Cameron and Thirteen finally stepped outside into the cool city air, they both simultaneously let out a deep breath.

"Whew!"

"Thought we'd never get outta there."

They had a long evening and were more than ready to go home and call it a night. Acting took more energy out of them than they had initially expected. The two women almost hurried back to Thirteen's car, as if afraid that someone spotting them might extend their stay. Once they got into the vehicle though, they felt a weight lifted off their shoulders. They both sighed heavily once more, then turned to look at each other, before breaking out into light laughter.

"I cannot believe..." Allison began, trailing off as she continued to chuckle. The whole evening was a little implausible.

Remy grinned in response and shook her head. "Hey, as long as Cuddy gives us something in return, I'm fine with it." She backed her car out of the parking lot and headed for the blonde's apartment.

"I must admit though," Thirteen spoke up as she took a glance at the other woman. "I had a lot of fun."

Cameron smiled genuinely. "Actually, me too." Her mind instantly recalled a couple of humorous encounters that she had witnessed and partaken in earlier. They definitely met some very amusing people. "For the record though, I _do_ know where the Philippines is."

Remy laughed out loud. "And for the record, I _do_ know how to operate a toaster." The both of them cracked up again at the memory of their conversation. They continued to chat and laugh about the evening's previous events, until they eventually arrived at Cameron's place. When the car slowed down to a stop, Allison slowly reached to take off her seatbelt. Hesitation filled the air as they realized that their facade for the night was over, and secretly, neither of them really wanted it to end.

"Well thank you for tonight, Remy." There was a brief pause and a grin. "I had a wonderful time."

The brunette smiled in return. "See you Monday, Doctor Cameron."

She waited and watched, only driving away after she saw that her colleague had made it safely into the building. One more glance at her rearview mirror and Thirteen frowned, her new expression a complete contrast to her prior appearance. Despite feeling pleased with the night, a tiny part of her – the irrational part – longed for what she couldn't have. The untouchable. The utterly impossible.

_'Huh, impossible is right..._'

She forcefully shook herself out of those thoughts and resigned to push them far away to the back of her head. There's no need to waste energy and dwell on what would never happen. Cameron was just somebody she worked with at the hospital, not to mention a straight woman who couldn't possibly be interested in her. And Remy decided to just leave it at that.


	5. Chapter 5

:D

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

Monday brought in a new case for Diagnostics to solve, keeping the team busy for most of the morning. Other than carrying on with the usual ddx, House decided it would be fun to either include an excessive amount of lesbian jokes or mention Cameron every time he opened his mouth to speak. Thirteen was hoping that after the night of the party, the whole affair would be done and over with. Her boss, however, obviously thought otherwise, still intentionally pretending that the two women were an item. It annoyed the hell out of Foreman and Chase as well. Taub didn't mind the teasing so much, but was only irritated due to the fact that "Cameron's approval" of everything Remy had said clearly did not help them get any closer to a correct diagnosis.

"Could we just make fun of Thirteen _after_ we solve this case?" he insisted.

"Oh, but why should we do that when we can multitask?" House shot back, clearly enjoying the aggravated expression on Remy's face.

"Look, we should just do a lumbar puncture before treating the patient," Foreman interrupted with furrowed brows and frown. He was not interested in any more comments that related to the two women and obviously wanted to move on to a more important and less infuriating topic.

"Do whatever you like," House announced with finality and a careless wave of his hand. Then came a slight pause and a thoughtful look. "See, in Thirteen's case, the 'what' would be women, and more specifically, that hot piece of ass down in the E–"

"Don't want to hear it!" The brunette quickly stood up and exited the office. The other three men rolled their eyes while House watched intently as they began to file out of the room, glad that their meeting has at last come to an end. He huffed at their collective grumpiness.

"Come back when all of you are done PMSing!"

* * *

><p>The entire day, despite all attempts at self-restraint, Remy's consciousness vacillated between two principal things: work, and the cute ER head downstairs. For the most part, she was successful in distracting herself. But House's constant reminder didn't help at all; it just about drove her up the wall. Fortunately, working at a different department than Cameron meant that the chances of them bumping into each other were fewer, especially when she intentionally chose the road less taken in order to avoid possible encounters. By the time Thirteen's work day came to an end, she was more than ready to leave the hospital and head home. Again, they've hit a dead end with their patient, and they all figured that a good night's rest would provide them with a fresher perspective.<p>

A glance out of the windows as she left the Diagnostics office informed her of the heavy downpour happening outside, successfully worsening her mood.

"Great..." she mumbled under her breath. At least she had an umbrella. Running a hand through her hair, she made her way to the locker room.

After gathering all her belongings, Remy slammed her locker door shut and headed out. As she walked across the lobby, she rubbed her temples in an attempt to alleviate a headache. It was probably due to stress and the lack of sleep. She walked briskly, hoping to get home as soon as possible so she could finally rest. But with her head tilted down, she failed to notice someone standing right outside the hospital entrance, and her quick pace nearly caused her to crash into the person. She managed to stop herself just in time.

"Whoa..." Thirteen muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Doctor Hadley," a familiar voice greeted with a hint of surprise. Remy snapped her eyes up to see Allison Cameron's warm smile.

"Cameron... Hi," she greeted, feeling a little awkward, but blamed it on her self-consciousness. Thirteen eyed the shorter woman, wondering what on Earth she was doing, standing so close to the doors. Her gaze then slowly travelled out to the heavy, pouring rain.

'_Oh._'

After staring out into the dark, wet streets for a moment, the brunette snapped out of it and looked at the umbrella she clutched in her hand. Without another pause, she opened it above her head and stepped right next to Cameron.

"I'll walk you to your car." The way Remy said it was more of a statement than an offer. Allison was very surprised by the other woman's nearly automatic actions, and marveled at her thoughtfulness.

"Um...Thank you. I'd really appreciate that." The both of them walked out into the heavy rain. Immediately, bullets of water noisily pelleted the umbrella that shielded them.

"It's no problem, Cameron." Thirteen shrugged it off. When she suddenly heard her colleague giggle, she snapped her eyes up.

"Please Remy, just call me Allison," she told the taller doctor, grinning as she did. She found it funny how they had pretended to be girlfriends, and yet here the woman was, still calling her by her last name.

"Right," the brunette mumbled with a little embarrassment.

They strolled on for a while as they searched for Cameron's car, walking down the dimly lit sidewalk.

"So, how was your day up at Diagnostics?" the ER head asked out of the blue. While Thirteen thought that it was kind of random, Allison felt that the question was perfectly justified. After staring at her co-worker for a moment, Remy realized that Allison had probably assumed that they were some sort of friends now, after that act they put up that one evening.

Thirteen averted her blue eyes down at wet the pavement. Nobody had ever asked her how her day was, and if they did they probably didn't really mean it nor cared to listen on. But Allison sounded as if she actually wanted to know. And there was a way about the blonde that made her want to answer honestly. Remy thought for a moment, then cleared her throat a little. "Uhm... Well, we got a new case this morning... and the patient has been showing obvious signs of meningitis, but the tests were negative. So we treated him for bacterial infection and ran a couple of tests. House decided to just send us home since the results don't come in til tomorrow." As she finished her sentence, Remy realized that that was probably the first time she has ever relayed her day of work to somebody. It was... strangely refreshing, to be able to talk to someone like that. And it was someone who understood too.

Allison nodded while she listened intently to her companion. She laughed a bit at the brunette's concluding sentence. "Nice of him to let you guys off for once."

"I usually give him crap for keeping us late," Thirteen said with a smile. "Especially when he makes me do all his charting."

"That used to be my job, you know," Cameron noted, her memory immediately relapsing to her old position as one of House's ducklings.

They've eventually stopped beside what Remy assumed to be the blonde's car in the parking lot. "You should've stayed on the team..." she said to her. "I'd rather have you replace Foreman or Chase." She paused at a thought. "Or both."

Allison laughed. "You're just saying that because if I was back, House would dump all the work on me instead of you."

Thirteen only smiled genuinely and widely in response, and opened the car door for her. "Have a good night Doctor Cameron."

"It's Allison."

"Allison." She stood corrected.

They exchanged smiles again. "You too Remy. And thanks for your umbrella."

As Thirteen watched the woman drive away, she realized that her headache had disappeared.

* * *

><p>A couple of days had passed and Remy eventually found herself looking forward to the few moments that she bumped into Allison at the hospital, either on her way down to the clinic or to the cafeteria (she had decided to stop the avoiding altogether). The two women occasionally passed each other in the hallways, greeting one another cordially, and sometimes even sparing a minute or two for small talk. Despite the fact that Cameron was only being friendly, Remy liked that they had become a little more than mere acquaintances now. It was a little weird for her though, because she had grown so accustomed to being on the defensive when conversing with people. But Allison was just so very likable and easy to talk to. Remy figured that it wouldn't do <em>too<em> much harm to gain a new friend – even if she had to force herself to accept that Allison was straight and off limits.

One afternoon, as Thirteen was grabbing a cup of coffee from the doctor's lounge, she received a page coming from Cuddy. Either House had done something to piss her off (again), or something else important had come up. Hoping for anything but the former, Remy hurried downstairs to Cuddy's office.

"Doctor Cuddy, you paged me?" she asked as soon as she entered the room.

The older woman stood up from her desk with an envelope in her hand. "Yes, there's something–"

All of a sudden, somebody else came into the room as well. "Doctor Cuddy, I received..." Cameron paused when she saw Thirteen there too. "...a page..." She slowly shut the door behind her and walked up to the desk alongside her co-worker. The two women shared a look and a quirked brow.

Cuddy sighed and handed the envelope she was holding over to the brunette. "Mr. Martin's secretary personally delivered this to the front desk today. He said that they were hoping you two would be interested in attending."

Remy tore the envelope and extracted what seemed to be an invitation of sorts. "...We cordially invite you... to an LGBT talk...this coming weekend... We hope to see you there..." she read out the important snippets. "Huh."

Allison raised her eyebrows. "What...?"

"You're not making us go to this... are you?" Thirteen asked with a slightly scrunched up expression on her face. But even as she asked the question, the both of them figured out what the upcoming answer would be.

Cuddy cleared her throat. "Well... I just think that it would make a good impression if you two went..." she told them, attempting to sound like she was giving reasonable advice.

"But we already made a good impression at the party last week," Remy nearly exclaimed. She thought they were done with this whole pretending thing.

"I know, I know. But Mr. Martin hasn't made the donation yet, and it would look good if you showed up. You two are the _reassurance_!" she emphasized. "A reminder of our hospital!"

Remy and Allison shared a look again, then stared back at their boss. They understood that being the dean and trying to find enough funding for the entire hospital was a difficult and stressful job...but this seemed to be taking it a little too far. In Cuddy's point of view though, her request was totally justifiable – she wanted to do everything in her ability to ensure donations to her institution. And this time, the means would be her two employees.

If it weren't for the fact that they needed Mr. Martin's money for their 10-day break, plus airfare to wherever they wanted to go, they would have been reluctant to oblige to their boss's request. But the fact of the matter was – they needed his donation.

"I guess... it wouldn't be that bad," Thirteen shrugged. She looked through the letter again. "I mean, free food and drinks." She passed the invitation to her colleague.

Cameron rolled her eyes at the brunette's comment, but failed to hide her amused smile altogether. She personally didn't mind too much. She actually had a lot of fun that night at the party, and thoroughly enjoyed Remy's company. In addition, she really needed for that break to happen. Allison held up the invitation and silently read it herself.

"Fine, we'll go," she relented.

"But remember our deal," Thirteen quickly reminded Cuddy.

"Yes...Yes... Of course."

Remy and Allison shared a grin.

"Thank you Doctor Hadley and Doctor Cameron, that is all for today," their boss announced unenthusiastically, clearly inviting them to leave her office. Sensing Cuddy's irritation, the both of them chuckled and hurried out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Hello?"<p>

"Hi, Allison?"

The blonde immediately recognized the familiar voice and smiled at the usage of her first name. "Oh, hi Remy." She plopped down on her living room sofa and began to subconsciously twirl a lock of hair around her finger.

"I'm just calling about tomorrow... I'll pick you up at...say, around six?"

"You sure? You picked me up the last time..." Allison trailed off. She wanted to return the favor.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," Thirteen responded sincerely. "So is six okay?"

Cameron smiled again at how very gentlemanly her colleague can be – almost more so than an actual man sometimes. "Yes, six is great."

"Okay, I'll see you then," Remy said in a cheerful tone. After a momentary pause, she added, "Need any help picking out something to wear?"

Allison rolled her eyes at her cheekiness. "No, I think I'll be fine, thank you."

Remy laughed out loud, and the older woman couldn't help but join in. "See you tomorrow, Allison."

"Alright, bye."

Cameron found herself smiling throughout the rest of her evening, a part of her eager for the next day to come.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Allison Cameron was working up a sweat as she jogged on her treadmill that Saturday afternoon. The reduced activity in the ER had allowed her to leave her post earlier than the usual time she got off. And what better way to use her free time than to work out? Exercising on the treadmill had always allowed her to step away from everything else and concentrate on herself, which has become a rare occurrence now that she had been appointed head of the hospital's ER department. The position definitely brought a lot of daily stress, but was indubitably less frustrating than her previous job on the Diagnostic's team. At least she no longer had to run the risk of being arrested for trespassing or committing other outrageous acts that went against the law.

Slowing down to a walk, the blonde wiped the sweat off her face with a towel, feeling quite satisfied with the distance she had managed to run. She glanced at the clock on the wall once, then had to do a double take. She had nearly forgotten that she had an event to attend tonight. In a couple of hours, Thirteen would be knocking at her door to pick her up.

She smiled at the thought of her colleague. She had to admit, Doctor Hadley was really something. So unpredictably courteous and considerate. And she had a feeling that that was Remy's true character too, not only how she was obliged to act because of their make-believe-relationship.

Allison was actually feeling a bit excited (probably more than she's willing to admit) about the prospective event that Mr. Martin had invited them to. She concluded that the reason she was looking forward to being the brunette's pretend-girlfriend once more, was not because of Thirteen herself, but because of the novelty of it all, creating stories as they go, as if putting up an act for an audience. In an odd sense, she found it delightfully stimulating. The party she attended the other week had been nothing but fun. It was a perfect break from her usual, monotonous and stressful life working at the ER. She needed spontaneity, not routine. That was one of the main reasons she stood by House for so many years. It was the excitement – the unorthodox and the unexpected – the endless _puzzles_ that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

Allison chuckled as she thought of the madman. He was a brilliant genius, and she loved working for him. But she definitely would not hop back onto the team without second thoughts. She had her morals to protect, and she had been butting heads with House for way too long to accept the hard way that she could never change him for the better.

She heaved a sigh and hopped off of the exercise machine. She suddenly wondered how Thirteen dealt with her hardheaded ex-boss. Like her, the brunette was the only woman on the team, surrounded by a significant amount of testosterone. While it was totally believable that House hired Remy only for her looks, Cameron knew all too well that he wouldn't hire anybody if he didn't think they were capable and deserving of the position. As shallow as he may be, he was way too picky when it came to his employees.

Allison headed into the bathroom to take a shower as she continued on with her thoughts. She had previously heard comments from Cuddy and Wilson that her 'replacement' on the team was just as stubborn as House. Clearly, she wasn't afraid of voicing her opinions. Perhaps that was why House hired her – she was not afraid of challenging him.

Interestingly enough, there were rumors floating about the hospital sometime that touched on Thirteen's alleged mysteriousness, not to mention her reserved personality and elusiveness. In short terms, the new intern had definitely piqued everybody's interest as soon as she established her spot on the Diagnostics team. Allison nearly laughed out loud when she compared her first impression of Thirteen (conceived through gossips and overheard conversations) to the Remy she gradually got to know. If she told anyone at the hospital a year ago that the brunette was actually very friendly, they would've thought she was joking, or talking about a different person.

It was strange how the two women had never got to know each other before. Even though they were once formally introduced, they had never gone passed talking about patients and work at the hospital. She guessed that because they rarely ever encountered one another during work, and because they didn't seem to have anything in common, they just never _thought_ of becoming friends.

Allison, however, did recall that one time many months ago when she was covering an overnight shift at the ER, and Thirteen bursted in at 3 in the morning with a woman whose name she didn't even know. That certainly raised a couple of eyebrows, and once again, new rumors of the intern's promiscuity spread. But Allison figured, Thirteen's lifestyle was none of her business, and she really wasn't in the position to judge others, especially when she barely knew them. She respected Remy enough not to question further into her personal life, but at the same time, the brunette's interest in women succeeded in piquing her interest too. And now that they've gotten to talk on several occasions, Allison felt truly intrigued by the enigmatic nature of Doctor Hadley.

A glance at the clock said that Thirteen would be there in two hours or so. And she couldn't wait for the evening to begin.

* * *

><p>The long awaited knock on Cameron's front door finally came, and a few minutes early too. After checking her hair in the mirror one last time, Allison quickly grabbed her purse off of her bed and hurried to greet her friend.<p>

"Coming!" she shouted, after hearing a couple more knocks.

She swung the door wide open to find Thirteen standing there with a gentle smile on her face. "Hi."

Unable to resist, Remy swiftly checked the blonde out. "Wow, that skirt looks great on you," she complimented, trusting that a little honesty won't do too much harm.

Allison automatically looked her colleague up and down as well, then blushed a little when she realized what she did. "You're wearing a dress," she stated, obviously a little puzzled.

Remy cocked her head to the side and stared at the older woman with slight disbelief. "Alright, that was not the response I was expecting..." She looked down at her outfit, which consisted of a _very_ flattering black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. "Do you not like it?" Remy asked, curiosity masking a hint of fear.

"No no no!" Allison mentally kicked herself for being so stupid. "It looks amazing on you," she reassured her sincerely. "It's just... I thought... Well, since we're... And I'm..." She looked down at her skirt as she stuttered. "Uh, never mind! Forget I said anything."

After a moment of watching the blonde stumbling with her words, trying to figure her out, Remy finally got what the woman was going on about. And when she did, she really couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud. At the sound of her companion cracking up, Allison snapped her eyes up, feeling her embarrassment growing.

Even when Thirteen finally calmed down a bit, she still had a big grin on her face. "Okay, Allison. We need to clarify a few things here," she began in an easygoing tone. "Just because I'm bisexual, and sometimes share the same interests as men, doesn't mean that I can't wear dresses."

Cameron's face got a little redder. "...But..."

"And even if I'm more of the 'guy' in this relationship, I can still dress like a woman if I wanted to," Remy explained with patience, even though she was thoroughly amused. "Because as I said, all lesbians are women too. And not all lesbian couples are made up of a distinct femme and a butch." The way Thirteen spoke was so understanding and genial that Cameron felt her humiliation slowly disappear.

"I see..." Allison mumbled with a nod. "Thank you for clarifying... I'm sorry for being so ignorant." The last thing she wanted was to have offended her new friend in some way. "God, I'm so bad at this."

Remy chuckled. "It's okay. You're unfamiliar with the subject," she shrugged it off. "I forgive you for being such a sucky lesbian girlfriend."

Cameron shot her a look, before breaking out into laughter. The taller woman smiled along.

"Come on. Let's get going before we're late."

* * *

><p>"Wait, did you say you were the '<em>guy<em>' in this relationship?"

Thirteen slowed her car to a stop in front of a red light, then turned to the passenger's seat. She sensed a little incredulity in Cameron's voice. "Um... yes..?" the brunette answered with a bit of uncertainty.

"I don't get it. Why is that?" Allison asked, curiosity filled to the brink.

Remy tapped her fingers at the steering wheel as she thought. "Hmmm. I dunno... I just feel like I'd be the guy in our relationship," she replied with a slight shrug. Even as she replayed the answer in her own head, she honestly thought that it was probably the dumbest thing she had ever said.

"Is there a certain criteria that determines whether you're the guy or the girl?" the blonde wondered aloud.

"For the most part, I believe so." Thirteen decided that she should just tell her what she thought. "But for one thing, I'm definitely more boyish than you are."

Allison raised a slender eyebrow. "Oh really? And how would you know?" she asked in a challenging voice.

"I... Well..." The younger woman trailed off when she realized that she couldn't find a valid justification for her claim. "I... I wear suspenders!"

The look Cameron shot at her said that she was not convinced.

"Well..." Thirteen scratched her head a bit. "I can probably drink more than you..." Another shrug.

The blonde's expression didn't seem to waver.

"I..." She look around the car as she dug her brain for something valid to say. A swift glance to her right informed her that Cameron was still waiting. "I...like to spend Saturday nights drinking beer and watching ESPN..?"

"No you don't."

Remy stared out into the road in front of her for a moment, before giving in. "No I don't."

Allison laughed. "See!"

The brunette thought in silence for a while, searching for a good reason. "Oh! I got it. You're the better cook." Score one for Thirteen! She watched as Cameron seemed to take it into consideration. "And! I sometimes tend to be overly aggressive and temperamental."

"Well..." the older woman began.

"And, if I'm not mistaken, you tend to be the more emotionally available and compassionate one."

Allison scoffed. "Who'd you hear that from?"

"House."

"Thought so."

The light turned green. Remy smiled in triumph as she hit the gas and continued driving. "Did I mention that I wear suspenders?" That managed to make her companion laugh.

"Alright, you've made your point. But for the record, I'm not going to be the stereotypical whiny and bitchy weakling of a girlfriend who depends on a 'man' to do everything for her."

Remy grinned. "If you were, you wouldn't be my type." _Freudian slip!_ _Shit..._

She felt a little relieved though when she heard Cameron laugh out loud at the apparent joke. As she forced a small smile, she mentally scolded herself for re-engaging her attraction for the ER head. She made a note to watch what she said whenever she was with the blonde woman.

"I definitely can't picture you as a butch though," Allison spoke up after a while of thinking. The way she said it with such adorable finality caused Remy to laugh.

"No, I don't think I'd enjoy it too much, to be honest," Thirteen admitted.

"I'd much prefer you in a dress than a tux." At this candid statement, Remy raised an eyebrow.

"So I'm guessing that you _do_ like this dress?" She exhaled dramatically. "Thank god. Wouldn't want to disappoint my high-maintenance girlfriend now, would we?"

Allison feigned a look of anger and playfully hit her in the arm.

"Whoa, whoa! Watch it! I'm driving here!"

The blonde rolled her eyes in faux irritation, but the smile on her face clearly gave her away.

"Are we there yet?" Cameron asked in an intentionally whiny voice. She was never one to provoke or annoy others, but being with Thirteen just made her feel so childish – as if she just _had_ to irk the brunette in order to be satisfied. "Your high-maintenance girlfriend is getting bored," she said impatiently. Cameron had to bite her lip to refrain from cracking up. Even listening to the words coming out of her own mouth was annoying.

"Why do you have to be such a pain?" In contrast to her words, Remy actually enjoyed the woman's cheekiness, even smiling as she expressed annoyance.

At her friend's complaint, Allison slapped her on the arm again. "Why do _you_ have to be so mean?"

Thirteen only feigned innocence. "I spend too much time around House. Not my fault!"

The two women laughed at each other and continued their playful banter throughout the rest of the car ride.

* * *

><p>After Thirteen deftly parked her car, the two women headed towards the hotel where Mr. Martin's talk was to be held. Almost as soon as they rounded the car, and the distance was closed between them, Allison automatically grabbed onto Remy's arm, a gesture that meant both nothing and something at the same time.<p>

This was the very first instance that the two women had prolonged skin contact. The other night, Remy wore a blazer, which effectively reduced the level of intimacy in the sense of touch. But now that Allison was standing so very close...with the feeling of her soft hand on her arm... it all seemed to be a little _too_ intimate. But the action has been done, and Allison felt that it would be awkward if she drew her hand away. And besides, they were supposed to arrive as a couple anyway.

Thirteen tried to keep herself from feeling too tense and attempted to act natural. As a means to distract herself from the blonde's touch, she checked her watch for the time.

"Hope we're not late," she said, more for the sake of saying something to break the silence between them than anything else.

After entering the lobby, a sign directed them to the designated lecture room. The two doctors followed a stream of people and walked down a hall towards a set of double doors.

"Wow, there's more people than I thought," Allison muttered as they followed the crowd.

"Oh hey, isn't that uh... one of Mr. Martin's friends we saw the other week?" Thirteen whispered, nudging her friend. They looked up and saw that a man standing ten feet ahead was waving at them.

"Yeah, I think he is... Quick, wave!" The both of them stuck their hands up and waved back with forced smiles. When he finally turned back around, they dropped their expressions and sighed.

"Okay, I'm really bad at remembering people, so give me a heads-up whenever you notice someone."

"Alright, will do," Cameron promised.

As soon as they entered the lecture hall, a low hum of murmuring and conversing filled their ears. They observed that most of the seats were already full, but the both of them managed to find a space somewhere near the back. As soon as they sat themselves down, a man stepped up on stage and politely urged everyone to settle down for the talk to begin.

"Just in time," the blonde remarked with a smile.

Remy turned to her and grinned. "Pay attention, Allison. You've got a lot to learn about the non-straight population."

* * *

><p>- end chapter -<p>

I had a huge discussion going on in my head while writing this chapter. I've always felt that Thirteen is more of the 'guy' in the relationship, but when I try to come up with reasons why... I'm at a lost for words. I mean, both are pretty feminine in character, I think. Is it only a matter of their style, and Cameron's intense TLC? What do you think? (Also, let me know what you thought of the chapter :D)


	7. Chapter 7

A big thank you to all my readers and reviewers again. Just a reminder of my appreciation for your support. :]

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

Mr. Martin's lecture this time around was exceptionally better than the one Remy had been to a few years back. Some of the things she had heard him mention before, but many had to do with new issues that have never been discussed openly in the past. She absolutely loved how articulate he was with ideas and feelings that had always been difficult to describe. And what's more was the sense of humor and wit that he so brilliantly incorporated into his talk.

While she listened, she occasionally took a glance at her right to see how her companion was liking the lecture. To her surprise, she saw that Allison appeared very concentrated and attentive. Remy smiled. The blonde's mind was probably racing with curious questions, and now's a likely time she received answers.

When Mr. Martin finally concluded his talk and ended the Q and A session, the audience didn't hesitate to give him a standing ovation. People then promptly left their seats and began socializing with one another.

"Finally!" Thirteen whispered childishly when they announced that food and refreshments would be served shortly. Cameron rolled her eyes and laughed as she was dragged by the brunette towards a long table at the side of the room.

Remy eyed a bowl of punch thirstily as she waited for her turn. Allison grinned when the man in front of her friend took his sweet time; she could almost feel the impatience radiating off of the taller woman. When he was done at last, Remy swiftly grabbed the ladle and eagerly poured a cup of the sweet beverage. Then, without a beat, she handed it to her companion. "Here you go."

The older woman looked up with a hint of surprise. She smiled at the thought that Thirteen always seemed to put her first. She graciously accepted the cup. "Thank you."

"Welcome," Remy answered nonchalantly as she poured herself a cup as well. The two then proceeded to grab a plate and fill them with an assortment of fruits, biscuits, and six different kinds of cheeses.

In between bites of their snacks, the two doctors managed to notice numerous people that they've been introduced to at the party the other week. They smiled and waved politely, exchanging multiple greetings. Mr. Martin's friends seemed absolutely delighted to see the couple; they simply adored them.

Very soon, the host himself spotted Allison and Remy, and he immediately pushed his way past the crowd to get to them.

"Doctor Cameron! Doctor Hadley! What a pleasant surprise!" He hurried over and gave the two of them the biggest and tightest hugs. "So glad that you came!"

"The talk was amazing," Remy told him sincerely.

Allison nodded along. "You were great!"

The man patted them on their shoulders, beaming. "Thank you ladies... Oh it means so much to me that you're here!" He clasped his hands together and sighed. They could tell that he was becoming a little emotional. The two women exchanged a look.

"Oh!" Mr. Martin suddenly exclaimed, as if an idea had just struck him at that moment. "There's someone I want you to meet! He's a great friend of mine! I met him during my first study abroad in college. He's just hilarious. You would love him!"

And once again, Remy and Allison were dragged off into yet another round of introductions.

* * *

><p>Like the last time, Mr. Martin didn't hesitate to introduce the two women to everyone he knew – which was a damn long list of people. Because they were moving so quickly from one group to another, it was quite a challenge to remember names and faces. Surprisingly, it seemed that many of their new acquaintances have already heard about the two doctors from Princeton Plainsboro who helped save Mr. Martin's life. Guess word does travel fast.<p>

Most of their conversations, although with different people, followed a more or less similar pattern. They would first start off with basic introductions, which was usually the most boring part of all. Then, as the doctors would carry on talking about their work at the hospital, one of their new acquaintances would instead inquire about their personal life as a couple. And this would be the two women's cue for the long-awaited (as well as the _best_) part of the conversation – the beginning of their storytelling.

"It took her _so _long to notice me. I've been sending her hints for weeks, but she remained completely oblivious!"

"Oh come on. You exaggerate too much, Remy."

"Every time I went down to the ER to see her, she just handed me a stack of charts to do."

"Well, I thought she came to help!" Allison defended herself.

The surrounding crowed laughed out loud, thoroughly amused by the couple.

"You know, she never took me on her trips."

"Did so!"

"That trip to Florida doesn't count."

"Well... It's not my fault our schedules don't match," Remy answered with a shrug. When she saw Cameron's feigned pouting and crossed arms, she couldn't help but grin. Yep, definitely one high-maintenance girlfriend. "Tell you what, we'll take a trip to Asia sometime. How about that?" she reconciled. It only took a second for the blonde's frown to turn into a broad smile.

The two women continued chatting for a while longer with different people, usually talking until Mr. Martin came over to drag them off elsewhere. They managed to bump into a group that they'd met a week ago whom they got along with very well. The atmosphere was lively, and Allison actually learned a lot of new things about the gay community. What surprised her the most was that she didn't feel awkward or anything; everyone was just so open-minded and friendly. She also began to feel more and more comfortable around Thirteen, never straying too far away from her.

Like the last time, Allison didn't hesitate to have a little fun with using her privileges as Remy's 'girlfriend'. Right after a conversation, she made her way towards the brunette and called her attention.

"Rem."

At the sound of this familiar voice, the taller woman immediately spun around. She smiled at the new nickname that Cameron had suddenly found for her.

"Yeah?" Thirteen instantly noticed a mischievous twinkle in her friend's bright blue eyes.

"I'm kinda thirsty... Could you..?" Allison's gaze trailed towards the drinks table.

Remy chuckled at her. "Sure, hold on a sec. Be right back." Just before she walked off, she shot the older woman an amused, knowing look. In all honesty, she loved playing Allison Cameron's girlfriend. But even if it was just for pretend, Remy wanted to play the role right. So of course she didn't even hesitate when it came to pleasing the blonde.

While Cameron watched Thirteen go grab her drink, she really couldn't help but enjoy the fact that there was someone willing to do things for her, even if they were just simple tasks. She knew that she had specifically said that she didn't want to be the one to depend on others, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. It seemed like every outing with Remy, she could let herself go and allow somebody else to care for her for a change. It was refreshing.

As she continued to wait for her 'girlfriend', Cameron suddenly noticed a woman approaching her from the right. At first, she thought that the lady was merely passing by. But when she slowed down in front of her, Allison snapped her head up inquisitively. Her gaze was met with narrow, green eyes.

"Hello," the woman spoke up, a smirk gracing her full lips. She was an attractive redhead with a voluptuous body, and was just about Cameron's height.

"Hi," Allison greeted with a small smile. There was something about this woman that was making her feel a tad bit uncomfortable.

"I'm Veronica." The ginger offered her hand in a flourish.

"I'm Allison," she replied. Because she wanted to be polite, she went ahead and shook the woman's hand, drawing her own back as soon as she let go.

"Nice to finally put a face to the name." Veronica tilted her head with an interested expression. "I heard you're a doctor."

"Yes, I am... I work in the ER." The blonde figured that she might as well be friendly and make conversation.

"I see..." Veronica seemed to be deliberating something. "You must be good with your hands then."

At this comment, Allison's brows shot up, with her jaw threatening to drop to the floor. When she didn't answer, the redhead took a long look up and down, blatantly checking her out. Allison had never felt so uncomfortable in her life.

When the woman seemed to be waiting for an answer, Allison figured that she should just settle with putting her off. "Yes, I have to be when I'm stitching up bloody limbs and all." Her grim comment, however, did not have the desired affect on the ginger at all. Veronica just kept eyeing her salaciously.

Allison looked around the crowded room, praying silently for Thirteen to return soon. At that sudden thought, an idea formed in her head. "My girlfriend's a doctor too," she spoke up, almost a little too eagerly. She'd do anything to get this woman away from her.

"But I'm sure she's not as pretty as you are."

The ER head stood in shock. Even after clearly stating her relationship status, Veronica remained undeterred by the fact that Allison was taken, still continuing her advances on the poor blonde. And she was beginning to inch closer and closer too.

On the inside, Allison began to squirm. '_Remy, where are you?_'

* * *

><p>Remy was busy pouring her friend a cup of iced tea, when a man suddenly came up and tapped at her shoulder. The brunette looked up questioningly.<p>

"You might wanna take a look at this," he said, pointing his thumb over his back. "Your girlfriend seems to be in some trouble." He chuckled and turned around.

Confused, Remy followed his gaze. Her eyes widened when she saw a redheaded woman hitting on her supposed 'girlfriend'. For a moment, she wasn't sure if she wanted to burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation, or scold herself for feeling a twinge of jealousy arising inside.

"Aren't you gonna do something?" the man beside her exclaimed.

'_Right._' She nearly forgot.

Appearing to be fuming, she weaved through the crowd and marched straight back to Cameron. In a split second, their eyes met – her gaze was hard and steady, while Allison's was nervous and searching. Remy instantly stepped up beside her friend, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. She felt the shorter woman relax noticeably as she leaned closer.

"Here babe, got your drink."

While Allison eagerly took the cup from her hands, Remy sent an icy glare at the redhead, a clear indication that she should leave. Veronica rolled her eyes irritably, murmuring a quiet 'bitch' before stalking away at last.

After watching the ginger disappear into the crowd, Cameron let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thanks. I think I would've died if you didn't come back." The slight exaggeration left Thirteen chuckling a bit. Allison noticed that the brunette still had an arm around her waist, but didn't comment on it because she honestly didn't mind.

Very soon, a few of their friends came up to them, obviously having seen the entire exchange between the three women. They patted the taller doctor on the back. "Way to show her!" "That bitch didn't stand a chance!"

While their cheers of support were quite flattering, Remy still couldn't shake off the initial jealousy she felt. She was supposed to feign jealousy – not actually feel it. And why was she being jealous when Cameron wasn't even her girlfriend to begin with? She needed to grab ahold of herself.

As she was stuck within her own thoughts, she failed to realize that her friends around them took notice of her silence as well.

"Uh oh. Looks like Remy's a little upset," one of the men pointed out. They all turned to look at her and indeed saw a small frown on her lips.

"I'm sure she is. _I _would be too if that ever happened."

"That Veronica... She's nothing but trouble."

"Hey Allison!" someone shouted. "Give her a kiss!"

"What?" Thirteen snapped out of it and looked up. Cameron widened her eyes.

"C'mon, give her a kiss and make up!" he said again. "Or else she'll be pouting the whole night." Their friends laughed.

"No, it's okay guys, I'm fine... Really..." the brunette insisted.

The men saw her refusal as more reason to convince Cameron to do it. "Aw, we all knew you got a little jealous back there. C'mon Allison, help us cheer her up!" One of their friends wiggled his eyebrows and nodded towards the taller woman.

Thirteen tried to wave them off. "Oh come on guys, stop messing around–"

All of a sudden, she felt a soft pair of lips pressing a firm kiss onto her cheek. Allison stepped back and grinned, while Remy stood there with a blush threatening to creep up to her face.

"There. All fixed," Allison declared in a matter-of-fact tone. The crowd of friends mumbled mix feelings, obviously hoping to see a kiss on the lips, but decided that a kiss on the cheek was still better than nothing. They laughed at Cameron's ability to find a loophole to avoid any PDA.

Remy look down and smiled shyly. She knew it probably meant nothing, but she didn't care because she got Allison Cameron to kiss her without even lifting a finger.

"Alright guys, show's over," the brunette announced, waving everyone off. "Enough lesbian drama for one night."

Everyone laughed and slowly began to disperse, some going off to get some more drinks, some going off to converse with other people. One of the men winked at Allison in passing as he turned to walk away.

"I think I've had enough of this place..." Remy said. And she knew that her colleague must feel the same way too. They've been here long enough. "You want to get going?" she asked inquisitively.

Allison nodded without a beat. She naturally took Remy's arm and they both searched for Mr. Martin to say 'goodbye'. They knew it would most likely take another five minutes before he'd let them go, but it was proper etiquette that they do. After searching him out in the crowd – which was an easy task in itself, due to his ability to stand out – they quickly hurried over to catch him. Just as they were about to reach the man though, he turned around and spotted them as well.

"Doctors! I have a great friend I want you to meet!"

The two women sighed on the inside. It wasn't that they didn't like Mr. Martin; he's a wonderful man. It's just that these events tend to take up a lot of energy. But in any case, he's already called their attention. They silently decided to meet one last person before heading off.

"Doctor Hadley, Doctor Cameron. This is my close consult, Mr. Colin Thomas."

A short, kind-looking man stepped up and shook hands with Thirteen. "A pleasure to meet you."

When he proceeded to shake the blonde's though, he stopped mid-action and paused for a moment. "Allison?" he asked with wonder as he stared at her more closely. "Allison Cameron?"

Remy watched as the older woman widened her eyes in recognition and surprise. "Colin..!"

"How are you? It's been such a long time!" The short man seemed ecstatic. He turned to Mr. Martin to explain. "Allison and I went to middle-school together. Isn't that crazy?"

Mr. Martin laughed. "A small world, it seems!"

"I never thought I'd see any of my old classmates again," Colin remarked thoughtfully. "This is great! We can finally keep in touch!"

Cameron forced a smile and laughed nervously.

"Wow, I'd never expect to see you here," her child-hood classmate said honestly. He looked back and forth between Allison and Remy. As if they suddenly remembered that they were supposed to be a couple (and that Mr. Martin was present), the blonde quickly grabbed her friend's arm again and smiled.

Attempting to change the subject, Cameron asked, "So Colin, where do you work now?"

"Oh I work at a law firm here in New Jersey. But off-the-clock, I'm one of Mr. Martin's consultants," he added with a grin.

The activist gave him a pat on the back. "Colin's one of the best I've worked with," he said fondly.

The shorter man was humbly flattered. "Thank you sir, but you're the one who does most of the work," he said, deflecting the compliment. He then turned back to the two women. "So you two are doctors, huh? That's amazing! I'm guessing you two met at the hospital," he inferred.

Remy nodded in confirmation. "Yes, we did." On the inside, she had a number of questions she wanted to ask Allison about this classmate of hers. But she'll just have to wait until later.

Colin then turned back to the ER attending. "So have you kept in touch with any other people from our school?" he asked.

Allison shook her head. "No... I kind of lost contact with most of them after we moved."

"Ah... That's right, you moved." The man nodded as he reminisced. "How is your family doing nowadays?"

"Oh... They're fine. Everyone's doing fine..." Cameron took a glance at Thirteen and saw that she was watching her, almost expectantly. She was obviously more than ready to leave. "Listen Colin, I'm so glad I got to see you again, but we kind of have to get going." She put on her best apologetic face. "I'm _so_ sorry."

"Yeah, we'd love to stay and chat," Thirteen added, looking up at Mr. Martin. "But unfortunately we have another commitment this evening."

Mr. Martin looked a little disappointed, but was very understanding. "Oh that's alright ladies! I'm just so happy that you made time to come tonight!" By the look on his face, they knew that their presence probably meant a lot to him.

"It was very nice to meet you Colin," the brunette shook his hand again.

But just before they began to turn away, the man called their attention. "Oh Allison! What's your contact info? We definitely need to catch up sometime."

In all honesty, Cameron didn't really want to give her number away, but Mr. Martin was right _there_ and her conscience was eating away at her, persuading her not to be a jerk. So she quickly gave her friend her number, and at his request, her e-mail address as well.

After all that was done, Allison and Remy were able to bid the two men farewell at last.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was close to 9 o'clock by the time the two doctors left the hotel. They remained mostly silent as they linked arms and slowly made their way to the parking lot. A number of things had happened tonight, and they needed some time to settle down and let everything absorb. Putting up an act was definitely more exhausting than it really seemed.

Once they got into Thirteen's car, the both of them exhaled heavily.

"Well that was interesting," Remy remarked wryly. The way she said it was so funny, Cameron began chuckling. They sat for a while, replaying most of the evening's events in their minds.

"Yep." Allison agreed wholeheartedly with a nod. There couldn't be a better adjective.

The younger woman proceeded to turn on the ignition and adjust the mirrors.

"I'm still kinda hungry."

The blonde put a hand on her face and laughed out loud. Thirteen never ceased to amuse with the things she said and the expressions on her face. She turned to look at her colleague fondly. "You know what? Me too."

They exchanged a look and smiled, knowing fully well that they were thinking of the exact same thing.

Remy eagerly put the gear on drive. "Where to?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, first of all, you need to explain the whole thing with this Colin dude."<p>

The two of them were seated across each other at a booth at a fancy little late night deli. Allison took a bite of her food while Remy took a long sip from her drink.

"Okay." The blonde swallowed and wiped at her mouth. "Like he said, we were classmates in middle-school. But the thing is..." She made a face. "...He was really weird and awkward as a kid."

"Wow. I cannot believe I'm hearing this from Allison Cameron," Thirteen remarked with shock.

The ER head rolled her eyes. "Look, I was one of the few people who were actually nice to him," she defended. "Our moms used to be good friends, and whenever I hung out with some of my classmates, they insisted that I let Colin tag along. It was awful."

Remy laughed at the expression on her friend's face.

"But I admit, there were a couple of times when I was mean to him... I kind of feel really bad for leaving like that..."

"Allison, you are _too_ nice," Remy declared, shaking her head lightly. "You gave him your contact info. That's enough!" She took a bite from her plate. "Besides, we had an important commitment. We couldn't stay too long anyway."

Cameron grinned widely, knowing fully well that this 'important commitment' the brunette was referring to was what they were doing now: eating.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, occupied with the food in front of them, until Allison decided to speak up again.

"I'm glad we went tonight though. I really enjoyed the talk."

"Me too," Thirteen nodded in accordance. "He was brilliant." Her thoughts raced back to all the things she managed to take away from Mr. Martin's lecture. She was actually feeling glad that Cuddy had asked them to go.

"But that lady kinda freaked me out..." Allison muttered, feeling a bit of discomfort as she thought of the redheaded woman from earlier.

"Yeah!" Remy had momentarily forgotten about the ginger who so blatantly flirted with her pretend-girlfriend. "What the hell was her deal?" she asked, consciously controlling her voice so that she wouldn't sound too angry about it.

"I don't know! She just wouldn't stop flirting with me, even after I told her I had a girlfriend." Allison blushed a little after having said that out loud for the first time in front of her colleague.

"What a bitch."

"I know... God, it was horrible!"

Thirteen laughed at her disgusted expression, but was truly glad that she felt that way about the redhead.

"What would you have done if I didn't come back?" she asked, curious about her answer.

"I probably would've politely excused myself... then run to come find you as fast as humanly possible," Allison responded honestly. They both exchanged amused smiles. Thirteen actually found it funny how flustered and bothered she was by the ginger.

"But really... Thanks for saving me from that woman," the older doctor said gratefully with a hearty laugh.

They exchanged a look for a while, and Remy took this opportunity to watch the blonde closely. A gentle smile adorned her face – an innocent, friendly smile that was specially directed at her. After re-thinking the evening's events for a moment longer, the brunette decided, with some disappointment, that the kiss on the cheek from Allison was nothing more than a simple gesture of thanks. She didn't know the blonde well enough to tell how affectionate she can be around friends, but Remy begrudgingly admitted that it'd be a long shot for Cameron to feel anything akin to the attraction she had for her.

Despite feeling disheartened, Thirteen forced a smile back at her friend. It wasn't Allison's fault... She just didn't swing that way. Besides, Remy has had loads of straight-girl crushes in the past, and it didn't take much to get over them. This one should be no different.

The younger woman decided to shrug it off and not let it affect her too much. She looked down and continued to poke at the food on her plate.

"So... How's the ER been treating you lately?" she asked as an attempt to make conversation. Funny how she always had something ready to say when they were pretending to be a couple in front of a crowd, and yet, here she was 'off stage'', unsure of what they should talk about as friends.

Even Allison noticed her tone, but answered her question anyway. "The ER has been busy as always... although there were fewer accidents in the past week..." She then lightly shook her head. "But I don't want to talk about work," she said with a hint of exasperation. She wasn't here to talk about _work_ with Remy. "Tell me about...yourself."

"What?" The brunette looked at her incredulously, as if double-checking to see if she heard her right.

"Yeah, tell me something about yourself," Allison repeated simply. "Every time we talk, it's either about work at the hospital, or some make-believe, far-fetched story that has never happened. I want to get to know you," she said honestly.

Thirteen looked up at her hesitantly and shrugged. "There's nothing interesting about me really..."

"Oh come on Remy, don't give me that," the blonde said impatiently. "Friends actually talk when they hang out, you know."

Her choice of words made the younger doctor smile. True, they were more than just colleagues now, and Remy could no longer find any excuses to keep their conversation solely professional. She knew she couldn't keep her distance from Cameron's friendliness forever.

Thirteen released a defeated sigh. "Alright then... What do you want to know?" she asked boldly.

Allison raised a slender brow at her colleague's compliancy. That was easier than she had expected. "Okay... Um..." She searched her mind for a good question to ask. "Well... Tell me something I _don't _know about you."

"There's probably a million things you don't know about me."

"Well, start with one."

"Okay." They locked eyes for a moment as Remy thought and Allison waited.

"I've actually never been to Florida."

"Rem!"

The brunette giggled at Cameron's frustration. "I don't know! I don't know what to say!"

"Stop deflecting so much! Okay, how about... tell me what you like to do in your free time."

"Besides digging up graves?" After noticing the older woman's displeased expression, she decided to stop fooling around. "Alright, alright..." She thought for a while. "Well, I like to read, go on walks, go to the beach... travel... but you knew that already." The look on Allison's face told her to go on. "I like trying new things – doing things I've never done before."

The ER attending nodded, satisfied with her answer for now. At least it was a start. "See, that wasn't so hard," she teased.

Remy smiled. She had to admit, Allison and her amicable persistence had somehow managed to break down the walls she so carefully built up. But right now, the brunette couldn't care less. Cameron was a wonderful person, and she'd be lucky to become good friends with her.

Although reluctant to at first, Thirteen eventually warmed up to the older doctor. They carried on in light-hearted conversation, talking about casual things, funny experiences (real ones this time), and even mentioning House's ridiculous antics around the hospital.

Allison noticed that Remy hadn't said much about her family, but she decided not to pry out of consideration. She was perfectly content with whatever the brunette was willing to share, knowing fully well that number Thirteen was never a big talker when it came to private matters. Even though she hasn't mentioned it, Allison had been aware of her Huntington's all this time. She never meant to eavesdrop or overhear, but keeping personal issues such as this under the radar was not exactly easy with House for a boss. And all the talking around the hospital didn't exactly help Remy keep it a secret either. It wasn't long before news of her Huntington's reached Cameron.

The chorea... It defined Thirteen, and at the same time, it didn't. As much as the disease had influenced her choices and decisions, Remy was her own person, with strong convictions, high morals, and sharp intelligence. The Huntington's was a shadow, ever-present and looming, something she can never run away from. It was an inherent part of her, a shadow that took the shape of her body. A genetic curse.

Allison couldn't even bare to step into Remy's shoes. No matter how naturally compassionate she may be, she wouldn't be able to fully comprehend the emotional hurricane and suffering that her colleague was going through. It was hard to grasp – that the beautiful, accomplished brunette sitting across from her was going to be gone in a decade or so.

Throughout their evening together, Allison had learned more about Remy's caring and sincere personality – a part she often tried to hide. Her strong opinions and confidence in voicing her thoughts were more than admirable; her witty remarks and sarcasm, especially amusing. And that was precisely why Allison had such a difficult time facing the reality of Remy's disease. She was a great person and a highly respectable doctor in her field with so much to offer. The brunette's obvious signs of improvement in coping with her Huntington's made it even harder for Allison to accept it, especially now that she had befriended Remy.

She was once afraid that the only reason she decided to become friends with Thirteen was because of her need to fix everything, her need to care for broken people. She scolded herself for this – even hated herself for it. But whenever she spent time with Remy...her strong and charismatic personality overshadowed her Huntington's, so much that it was hard to be reminded of it. Because of this, Allison was quick to discover that she liked Remy for who she was and genuinely wished to get to know her better as a person.

As they continued talking over dinner, Allison realized that it's been a while since she had enjoyed a conversation with someone as much as this. Every time she spoke, Remy listened intently. Everything she said, Remy understood.

As the brunette's blue eyes lit up while she spoke animatedly about a funny college experience, Allison laughed along wholeheartedly. And just like that, the matter of Thirteen's Huntington's was briefly forgotten for the evening.

* * *

><p>It was nearly eleven by the time they left the restaurant. Both of the doctors were pretty tired and didn't want to stay out too late. As they walked down the streets to find Thirteen's car, Allison casually took her companion by the arm once more. They were so used to it by now that they'd barely noticed until they stopped and had to part to get into the vehicle.<p>

The drive back to Cameron's house was fairly short, probably because they were so engrossed in their conversation that time seemed to pass quickly. Remy slowed the car into a stop right in front of the apartment, feeling disappointed that their evening has come to an end.

"Well, thanks so much again Remy," Allison said with a bright smile. "I had fun tonight."

"Yeah, me too," the brunette reciprocated. "So...I'll see you at work."

"We should have lunch together if our schedules match."

"Okay."

Another smile from the ER attending. "Okay, goodnight."

"Night."

A glance at the rearview mirror as she drove away, and a genuine smile on her lips as she hummed along with the radio the entire way home.

* * *

><p>- end chapter -<p>

I thought I had to address 13's Huntington's some time... no matter how much I hate doing it. It's always been the elephant in the room, and I just wanted to show Cameron's awareness of it.  
>Anywayyssss, plot development! It's a pain and it's slow, and I know that this chapter was kind of a downer...but I assure you, Camteen is going to happen.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

:)

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

Doctor Cameron was thoroughly stressed out by the time her lunch break came around. The Emergency Room was packed today – accident on the interstate highway leaving dozens of people seriously injured. Fortunately, the ER staff was quick to respond, doing all they could to save everyone.

Allison was lucky that the state of her department had eventually calmed down a bit, at least enough to let her grab a bite to eat. She made her way to the cafeteria and quickly stood in line, eager to satisfy her empty stomach. After she paid for her food, she turned around to look for a place to sit. Being lunch hour, the canteen was quite busy, and many of the seats were already taken. Frowning slightly, she looked around little more, and to her amusement, found Thirteen sitting by herself in a corner. Typical of her.

Without a beat, Cameron walked over and sat herself down without even asking.

The brunette looked up in pleasant surprise. "Um, no, that seat is not taken," she teased, shooting her friend a look.

Allison laughed at her expression. "Hi."

Remy dropped her feigned annoyance and couldn't help but smile back. "Hi."

"Busy day for you?" the blonde asked curiously as she began picking at her food.

Her companion nodded. "New patient. Foreman and Taub are breaking into his house for investigation as we speak," she told her nonchalantly, before taking a bite of her sandwich. She then took in Cameron's slightly disheveled appearance. "I heard about the crash on the interstate..."

"Yeah... It was pretty crazy down there this morning." Allison tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't think I'd be able to eat lunch."

Remy took a long sip of her drink and she watched her colleague. "Do you need any help later? I can come down to the ER with you," she suggested.

The older woman smiled at the offer. She thought about the mountain of charting on her desk that she had to complete by the end of the day. "That would be nice. But aren't you forgetting who you work for?"

"I did some blood tests for the patient already, and the results take a few hours. Besides, House is busy watching porn. I've got time to spare." She shrugged.

"House is doing _what_?" a familiar voice interrupted. The two women looked up to see Cuddy standing by their table, hands on her waist. Their boss eyed Remy, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"He's being... House?" the brunette answered in a question, obviously unsure of what she should say. She always hated being in this situation – caught between two of her bosses. If she ever rats him out, House would get mad, and if she doesn't, Cuddy would. Both could get her fired.

"It's nothing Doctor Cuddy. Don't worry about it," she reassured the older woman.

The dean watched her employee with raised eyebrows, then decided to just let it go. She trusted that Doctor Hadley had enough sense to let her know if ever House _does_ do something critically unethical or dangerous, or just plain stupid.

"Alright... Well, I just came by to ask about that event that Mr. Martin invited you to. I assume you two went?" The hint of a smirk on the dean's face told them that she was actually in a good mood.

"Yes, we did," Cameron nodded.

"For the sake of the hospital..." Remy murmured melodramatically, earning a playful slap on arm from the ER attending.

"I'd say so, because we just received a check for five million dollars today," Cuddy announced with contained excitement in her voice. She knew she couldn't speak too loud or else other people in the cafeteria would overhear. She had to remain professional about donations like this.

Her two employees raised their eyebrows at the great news. It was amazing. Just like that, the hospital had a few millions of dollars to spend on improving facilities and equipment for its patients.

"Well, our duty is done here," Thirteen joked as she sank back in her chair. "You're very welcome Doctor Cuddy," she added cheekily.

The dean rolled her eyes at the attitude, but remained smiling. "Thanks for your help girls," she told them sincerely. She turned and was just about to walk away when Remy called her.

"Doctor Cuddy! Don't forget our royalties!"

The woman sighed at this reminder and waved off her employee without looking back. "Of course, Thirteen..."

* * *

><p>"Hey."<p>

Remy looked up from her cup of coffee to find that Allison had just entered into the doctor's lounge. "Hey."

It's been a few days since they've run into each other, both women having been pretty occupied with their relative jobs. Thirteen had to deal with nearly losing a patient, while Cameron had been managing an accident that happened at a nearby construction site.

"Exhausting day huh?" the younger woman asked sympathetically. Leaning against the counter, she examined Allison's bloody scrubs with a slight grimace.

The blonde sighed heavily and walked towards the coffee machine to make some for herself. "As always..."

Neither said anything more as they moved to sit on the couch. They plopped down unceremoniously, sinking into the soft cushions with another long, weary sigh. At times like these, they were too tired to make conversation, and they felt comfortable enough with each other that they could simply sit in silence, drink their coffee, and just rest for a moment. Even if they didn't speak, being in each other's presence somewhat relaxed them.

All of a sudden, a muted sound of a phone vibrating interrupted the peaceful moment. Both doctors jumped, feeling a little startled by the device.

"Sorry..." Allison apologized as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the cause of the disruption. Remy watched the blonde curiously as she pressed a few buttons and concentrated on the screen with furrowed brows.

"Oh shit."

"What is it?" Remy asked, alarmed.

Allison met her friend's eyes regretfully. "It's Colin..." She threw her phone aside and sank back into the couch with a downcast expression on her face.

Thirteen eyed her carefully. "What does he want...?"

The blonde sighed. "He invited me to a party at his house this Friday night... and I really, _really_ don't want to go."

At this, the younger doctor laughed. "So don't go," she said simply.

"But I already said 'yes'..."

"Why would you say yes if you don't want to go anyway?" Remy found it both amusing and ridiculous. Her colleague was practically whining.

"I felt bad," Allison answered with a shrug. "And he kept insisting and going on and on about how we should catch up on old times and everything... And then I think of how mean I was to him when we were kids and..." She continued rambling off in a worried voice (which Thirteen thought was kind of adorable to be quite honest).

"Tell him that you have to be in the ER that night," Remy suggested.

Cameron turned to look at the brunette for a moment, then turned away. "I can't. I'm a horrible liar." She hugged a pillow to her chest and closed her eyes. "Whatever, I'll just go and get it over with. If I don't go this time, he'll probably pester me with invites until I actually show up."

Thirteen looked at her with a perplexed expression on her face. While watching the ER attending, the phone lit up and vibrated again. Allison groaned and snapped her eyes open. Remy didn't think she'd seen her this frustrated ever.

The blonde swiftly picked up her cellphone to see what the new message was about. All of a sudden, Remy noticed a complete change in behavior. Allison's angered expression slowly softened, and her shoulders began to relax. Then, there was a mischievous smirk growing on her friend's lips. She wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not.

"What is it...?" Thirteen was almost afraid to ask.

"Colin said I could bring you along."

"What...?"

"Oh my god, you need to come with me!" Allison exclaimed.

"_What?_"

"Come on Remy! Don't make me go alone!"

"But..."

"Please?" Allison begged. "It'll be quick. We can just stop by, say hi, and then leave."

"But you don't even want to go!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to be a jerk! I owe him at least one more conversation," she reasoned. "Please come? It'll be a big favor to me."

Thirteen fell silent as she tried to think everything through. What was she doing Friday night? Well, clearly, her plans to hit the clubs and bring a hot chick home were not going to follow through. In all honesty, Cameron didn't even need to beg. Remy would probably do anything she asked of her.

As Allison watched the gears turn in Remy's cynical head, she chuckled. "Come on. You have to go because you need to make sure nobody else hits on me," she joked. Little did she know how right she really was. Thirteen was definitely the jealous type, and the mere thought of somebody else laying hands on her girl...

'_Whoa, Rem. Hold on there..._' the brunette caught herself. She cleared her throat nervously and tried to push her previous thoughts away to regain some self-control.

"Well..."

The ER attending clasped her hands together. "Please? I'd have so much more fun if you were there," she tried to convince her.

"You're just saying that because you want me to suffer _with_ you."

The both of them laughed. "No _Remy._ I'm saying that I'd enjoy your company."

"I'll think about it..."

"Oh come on, it won't be too bad, I promise. Besides...free food and drinks," Allison repeated the same line that Remy once used on her.

"Well..." Thirteen shrugged hesitantly. "I guess..."

"Thank you!" Cameron practically flung herself at the younger woman, giving her a tight hug. Remy held her breath and froze in place until her friend finally let go. In her mind, she decided that Allison turned out to be a touchy-feely person after all.

"So I'll come pick you up Friday, okay?" As if Remy could ever say 'no'.

"Okay." She nodded.

The blonde paused for a moment to observe her colleague. She smiled. "Thanks for doing this." She knew that Thirteen really didn't have to come if she didn't want to.

"It's no problem. I'm free that night anyway," Remy replied. "Besides, you need me there to get you drinks and fend off scary lesbians."

"Hey!" That got her a well-deserved slap on the arm.

"_Who's_ a scary lesbian?" someone suddenly interrupted their exchange.

The both of them almost groaned simultaneously at the recognition of House's voice. The doctors turned their heads to see him standing behind the sofa, having just entered the room. "What do you want House?" Cameron asked with a hint of annoyance that she didn't bother hiding.

"Well..." The man looked to the ceiling and began contemplating his long list of answers. "Actually, if you two could just send me a couple of videos of–"

"House!"

"But you just asked me what I wanted," he whined.

"Never mind that," Thirteen interrupted. "How's our patient?"

"Oh, he's dying. We need to cut open his brains in..." He checked his watch. "...about fifteen minutes. You wanna come watch?"

Remy rolled her eyes and stood up from the couch. She figured that the normal English translation of what her boss had just said meant that the team should be prepping for surgery. She shot Allison an apologetic look. "Talk later."

The blonde smiled back understandingly. "Good luck."

"Sorry for stealing your girlfriend away. I'll return her as soon as possible so you two can resume whatever scandalous things you were doing on that– mmph!" Thirteen covered his mouth with her hand.

"Alright, let's go before our patient dies." She pushed him out of the doctors lounge and quickly followed suit, leaving Allison rolling her eyes at the both of them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was Friday evening and Thirteen was _not_ out and about, jumping from club to club and downing endless rounds of martinis offered by strangers. Instead, she was standing in front of her bathroom mirror, putting on make-up and fixing her hair as she waited for her pretend-girlfriend to pick her up for some party that both of them didn't even want to go to. But she couldn't do anything about it – she had promised Cameron already, and it would be an asshole move to cancel on her. Besides, Remy would make sure that they wouldn't stay too long. It was actually getting kind of ridiculous... all these events that she busied herself with in the past few weekends. So much for this 'girlfriend' facade being only a one-time thing. It clearly hasn't. For a person who was single, she really didn't feel single.

When Thirteen finally heard a couple of soft knocks on her door, she swiftly grabbed her leather jacket and went to open it. There Allison was, standing on the other side of the threshold, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a cute blouse. She always managed to look effortlessly stunning, whether in casual clothes or her ER scrubs.

"Hey."

"Hi."

It took a whole lot of effort for the bisexual not to check out the attractive woman standing in front of her. She cleared her throat. "Come in. I just have to grab my keys and wallet really quick."

Allison followed her friend into the living room as she looked around to scrutinize the apartment. It was surprisingly modern and cosy, and quite tidy too. "Nice place," she complimented, watching the brunette put on her sleek jacket.

"Thanks."

After grabbing her wallet and digging out her apartment keys from a drawer, Thirteen was ready.

"Shall we go?"

* * *

><p>"This party better be good."<p>

Cameron looked up from her steering wheel to the passenger's side and quirked a brow. "Please, don't expect anything," she deadpanned.

Remy laughed. "Promise we won't stay for too long?"

"Promise."

After a while, the younger woman turned to look out of the window, momentarily hypnotized as she watched the outside world fly by in a blur. It was strangely comforting...to be sitting in a car with Allison while she drove in silence, not having to think or talk about work at the hospital, or anything specific for that matter. It always happened during car rides – that sense of timelessness that occurs as you are in between destinations... It always managed to set Remy at ease.

Always the attentive one, the ER attending eventually took heed of her colleague's quietness. After a moment, she asked softly, "Something on your mind?"

Thirteen glanced at her companion curiously, then turned back to the window. "It's nothing," came a simple response.

The best thing about Cameron is that she doesn't pry. If it was something that Remy wanted to share, then she'd be more than happy to listen. But if not, then it's none of her business. Allison understood that some people needed their own space every once in a while, and may take some time to open up to others. Thirteen was definitely one of those people, and she was aware of that.

But that didn't stop Cameron from wondering. She took a brief glance at the younger doctor, who was still transfixed by the moving pictures on the car window. Many times, Allison wondered what went on in her colleague's head – what she thought and how she thought. To be honest, Allison was still having a bit of trouble trying to figure Remy out. There always seemed to be something more about the younger woman, hiding underneath the cool, composed exterior. Allison could only hope that in time, she would be able to get to know all there is to know about Remy Hadley.

* * *

><p>"Okay... I think this is where he lives..."<p>

"You think?"

Allison rolled her eyes at her companion. She carefully parked her car at the curb, and the both of them got out. "It should be that row house over there," the blonde pointed. After locking up the car, she instinctively took hold of Remy's arm without the slightest hint of thought. The younger woman simply let Cameron drag her towards Colin's house.

"Okay... when you see me scratching my ear, it means that I want to leave," Thirteen muttered as they walked up the front steps. Allison chuckled, shot her a look, then proceeded to ring the doorbell.

"We're only staying for half an hour. Don't worry."

"Who said I was worried?."

They turned to each other and locked eyes, both sporting amused expressions on their faces. At that moment, the door flung open. "Allison! So nice to see you again!" Colin was clearly excited to greet them.

"Hi Colin..."

"Come in, come in!"

The two doctors followed the short man as he showed them into his house. They silently hoped that the evening wouldn't prove to be as dreadful as they apprehended.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, the evening <em>was<em> as dreadful as they had anticipated, and probably even more so. Once they were invited into the house, they were surprisingly introduced to Colin's wife – a quiet, nervous-looking woman who seemed to be the stereotypical homemaker. Everything in the house was oddly in place, with flowery curtains and other elaborately embellished decorations adorning each room. It _was _homey, but there was just something off about it that neither women could put a finger on... After having shown them around the house, they introduced Allison and Remy to all of their other guests – which was actually not a lot of people. Apparently, a couple more friends were supposed to come, but they "couldn't make it", as Colin explained. He introduced the doctors to Bill, a tall, stoic and depressed looking man who lived next door; Colleen and Allen, co-workers at the law firm; David, a loud and boisterous, portly man who happened to snort a lot when laughing; Janet, David's wife; and finally, Katie, a perky and excessively feminine woman who spoke a few octaves too high.

When they were done with all the formalities, Colin and his wife offered the two doctors some drinks and had them sit down on the living room sofa to continue chatting with their other friends. Remy spent most of her time drinking and eating the finger foods served on the coffee table, speaking only when she absolutely had to. Allison, however, wasn't so lucky. Colin managed to drag her into a very long (and frankly, dull) conversation about their middle-school, which the blonde really couldn't care less about. David and Allen talked loudly about football while their wives exchanged cooking and baking recipes. Bill, the neighbor, sat idly in one of the recliners as he listened and grunted every once in a while, muttering something incomprehensible under his breath. And Katie... that twenty-something year old blonde, had been finding Thirteen extremely interesting as soon as they were introduced. Eventually, she had moved to sit beside her on the couch, asking random, and sometimes irrelevant questions that had to do with the brunette. Remy obviously took a hint – her gaydar wasn't that bad – but she found this Katie girl to be more than a little irksome. There was the brushing of arms, and hands flirtatiously patting her on the thigh... as if the blonde woman sitting on the _other_ side of Remy wasn't present. But she couldn't do anything about it. They were at a friend's house and it wouldn't make too good of an impression if she outright acted like an ass. Poor Thirteen began inching closer and closer towards Cameron, trying everything from mentioning her 'girlfriend' every other second to taking hold of her hand. Unfortunately, Allison was too busy responding to Colin's endless sea of questions to notice what was going on behind her. The brunette had eventually given up on her 'scratching ear' signal because she would've scratched her entire ear off and her friend still wouldn't notice anyway.

"Wow, I really like your jacket," Katie cooed while she trailed a hand down the length of Remy's arm.

"Er... thanks..." She turned to her companion, who was still talking to Colin with an unexcited expression on her face.

"I think it makes you look _hot_."

Remy widened her eyes. "Um, hold that thought..." She tightened her grip on Allison's hand and leaned in close to whisper urgently into her ear. "Code red... Time to go."

Cameron turned around just in time to see Katie practically clinging onto Remy's other arm. _'What the hell does she think she's doing?_' She knew that Remy wasn't her _real_ girlfriend, but they were supposed to be a couple right now. She felt a surge of anger as she eyed the blonde who was shamelessly hitting on Thirteen even when it was made absolutely clear that they were together. '_The nerve of her!_' Allison was mostly angry because of how rude Katie was being, but another part of her – the part that wanted to physically yank her off of Remy – was driven by another reason, one that she couldn't exactly pinpoint at the moment. But one thing was for certain: there was no way in hell that she's going to sit by and watch a girl slobber all over her friend. She reciprocated the iron grip that the brunette had on her hand and made a motion to check her watch for the time. "Oh gosh I forgot..." she announced somewhat loudly.

"What is it?" Colin asked with a hint of concern.

She looked up at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry Colin, but I'm afraid we have to get going..."

"Oh... So soon?" He looked genuinely disappointed.

"A friend of ours is performing at a bar downtown, and we promised we'd be there to support him," Thirteen interjected, saving the blonde from thinking up a good explanation. "Sorry that we can't stay longer..." She tried her best to look what she said.

"Yeah, he really wanted us to be there for him..." Allison added. She turned to shoot Katie a look before pulling Remy along as she stood up from the couch. The blonde girl's expression was one of dissatisfaction, but really, the two doctors couldn't care less.

"I'm really glad we got to catch up though, Colin," Allison added.

Her middle-school classmate smiled. "Me too. We should get together again sometime!"

"Definitely," Thirteen muttered, attempting to sound at least a little sincere.

"It was nice meeting you all," Cameron said to the rest of the people in the room. They bid them farewell as quick as possible and headed for the front door with Colin seeing them out.

"Thank you so much for tonight Colin. It was...fun."

"Yeah, it was great. Thanks for inviting us."

They didn't hesitate to get into Cameron's car. After waving goodbye for the umpteenth time, they finally drove off, leaving Colin's house behind them at long last.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god, that girl was all <em>over<em> you!"

"I know!"

They were driving down the road, both feeling completely relieved to have finally left that 'party'. Cameron didn't think it'd be that bad... but it was, and she felt terrible for having dragged her poor, unsuspecting colleague along.

"I kept sending you the signal, but you wouldn't look my way!"

Allison laughed. "Sorry! Colin just wouldn't stop talking!"

"That Katie almost clawed my arm off. I could've died back there, you know."

The ER attending rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. Turned out that _she_ was the one who had to save Thirteen from the big scary lesbian. "Well, you made it in one piece didn't you?"

"Yeah, but my brain is damaged by the boredom you made me endure," Thirteen deadpanned.

The blonde giggled a bit, then turned sincerely apologetic. "Remy, I'm _so _sorry I dragged you into all of that."

Her colleague simple rested her hands behind her head and leaned back in her seat. "You owe me, Doctor Cameron."

Allison nodded. "Yes, yes I do."

"This evening had been nothing but painful." Oh, now she was being melodramatic.

But Allison had thought of a plan to make it up to her. She glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard and saw that it was still somewhat early. "Okay, how about I treat you to dinner and a movie?"

"Hmm..." That actually sounded promising.

"There's a really good one out. I think we'll be able to catch the nine o'clock picture."

"Tonight?"

"When else?"

Thirteen sat still for a moment, as if trying to process what she heard. Cameron had just offered to prolong their outing together. A part of the brunette felt excited and truly wanted to spend some more time with her friend. But there was always another part of her – the uncertain part – that still held doubts about their growing friendship and questioned whether or not this was a good idea in the long run.

The younger woman became so consumed in her thoughts that she forgot to answer her companion. "Oh come on. I owe you," Allison simply said as she looked at her with a smile. Remy met her gaze and immediately knew she lost the fight. She hated that she couldn't ever say no to her.

"Alright..."

Allison giggled at her colleague's surrender as she continued driving. She thoroughly enjoyed Thirteen's company and was delighted to hang out with her again without the pressure of putting up an act for an audience. It was just going to be the two of them.

Remy sighed quietly and looked out the window again at the blurred city streets. She shouldn't feel too worried, right? There's nothing wrong with becoming good friends with Cameron... It's not as if the blonde wasn't willing to spend time with her; she insisted to even.

As the two doctors fell into casual conversation once again, Remy decided to push her insecurities to the back her her mind – at least for now.

* * *

><p>- end chapter -<p>

First of all, "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental." (Colin's other guests were just added in for funsies. I couldn't resist including the Katie person. :D)

Remy is so whipped.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It's been quite some time since Cameron and Thirteen were forced to make their debut as a couple. What was thought to be an act for one occasion turned out to be a facade that lasted well over a month. But interestingly enough, neither doctor made any complaints about it – they merely rolled with the punches. It wasn't as if they were given the chance to forget about their whole 'relationship' and move on with their usual lives though. It seemed that there always happened to be some important event they had to attend, wherein they were required to pass as a couple once again. Week after week, invitations kept pouring in, either from Mr. Martin, Colin, or some of the other people Remy and Allison had become acquainted with several times. They never intended to drag their act out for this long, but circumstances haven't exactly given them the opportunity to call it quits. They've gone far too deep to turn back now, and they were gradually coming to realize that.

In one instance, at another one of Mr. Martin's parties or talks, Allison and Remy ended up conversing with one of his close friends who was an editor for the local gay magazine. After exchanging a few words, he unexpectedly asked if he could do an article about them for an upcoming issue. After a moment of pretend-deliberation and discussion, they politely declined, with claims that they were not really comfortable drawing attention to themselves. Allison and Remy were actually quite flattered that they were chosen to be featured in a magazine...but they knew that it would just be complete chaos if they ever allowed that to happen – not to mention having to deal with House's endless inappropriate comments. Thankfully, the editor wasn't the annoyingly persistent type, and he kindly dropped the topic. These were the instances that kept the two doctors worried about keeping the whole affair under control.

It was true that the faux relationship hadn't affected either of them very much when it first started out. It was an innocent misunderstanding – simply one that they didn't try to correct. Although shy and hesitant at first, both women felt fine with the situation when they became friends. Eventually, they've grown to be so comfortable with each other that they felt at ease when having to show affection in public for the sake of their facade. There was the usual touching of hands and the casual linking of arms. But over time, Allison had begun to improvise on her own as well.

It all started spontaneously one evening, when they found themselves at a particularly crowded party that they were once again obliged to attend. It started out fun, with lively company, good food, and good music. However, the night took a different turn when a nice-looking man they'd been conversing with unexpectedly made a pass at Remy. Allison, who was standing right beside the brunette, raised her brows with a little disbelief. Was it not obvious that they were together? After having straightened things out, the man apologized with embarrassment and answered that he honestly thought that they were only friends. Apparently, their body language wasn't convincing enough to show distinctly that they were a couple.

They didn't think too much about it after that incident, but as the evening progressed, a number of other people cluelessly tried to hit on both Remy and Allison again. Obviously exasperated, the older doctor decided to take matters into her own hands. After all of that, she made sure not to leave Thirteen's arm for too long. The taller woman took notice of the increased touchiness, and figured that Allison was only trying to make things a little more plausible to avoid being flirted with for the rest of the night. But nonetheless, she was still caught off guard when she brought her friend a drink and got a generous kiss on the cheek in return.

And that was only the beginning of many more kisses to come. Every time Remy did her colleague a favor, something as simple as pulling up a chair for her to sit, Allison would reward her with yet another sweet kiss on the cheek. It wasn't much, but the action clearly made its point, and considerably fewer people have been bothering the two of them that way ever since.

Cameron didn't really mind the friendly kisses. To her, it was a good and easy way to thank Thirteen for always watching out for her during their outings, and to show that she truly appreciated it. Remy, however, remained wary of the prolonged touches, and was certainly aware of the affect that Allison's soft pair of lips had over her. Holding hands was her limit. Any more than that, the brunette would have to struggle to keep her rampant emotions in check.

In any case, Thirteen tried hard not to let it show that the new PDA was bothering her. And so Cameron failed to take a hint and didn't even think to put an end to all those innocent kisses that both meant something and nothing at the same time. Even though it frustrated Remy immensely to have her feelings so unstable, she did secretly relish in the fact that her and Allison were getting a little more intimate, even if it was just as 'friends'. It was bittersweet really. Many times, Remy tried to reason with herself how and why this was not good for her in the future...how she would only harbor more feelings for the blonde and end up hurting herself over nothing... But her rationalizations were often overshadowed by that tiny hint of hopefulness (which she also classified as hope_less_ness) that pushed her to see how far their relationship would go. On most occasions she surrendered helplessly, embarrassed by her weakness and yet, privately cherishing every affectionate touch she has received. Despite knowing fully well the possible consequences, Remy thought that she would merely take what she can get for now.

But one thing she failed to realize was just how difficult it was to completely block out her emotions. She honestly thought she could do it – thought she could remain platonic and not let all these acts of affection get to her. She should've been able to do it. It was all simple reasoning with the mind, analyzing facts and choosing smarter options. She'd done this before; she'd learned how to keep distance and stay detached. But every time she looked at Cameron...all her previous strategies dropped and refused to work. There was no way getting around it.

* * *

><p>What Remy didn't know was that their increased level of intimacy did start to have an effect on Allison as well. They've been acting as a couple for such an extended period of time that where they stood in their friendship was beginning to blur. And they both felt it.<p>

There were little things – Allison tenderly touching Remy on the arm when calling her attention for help in the ER; Remy ordering two cups of coffee during lunch break, and then realizing that she only needed one for herself; Allison lingering around the locker room as the brunette grabbed her belongings at the end of the day, only to remember that they were going separate ways and the waiting was unnecessary. They spent such a significant amount of time together that they occasionally forget when to switch off the act. It's just that their bodies have learned to respond to each other so casually... instinctively... They've both grown so used to it that they sometimes fail to remember how they were supposed to behave as colleagues.

It was Monday the day it happened – the day they involuntarily slipped.

Diagnostic's was without a case, and so Thirteen went down to the ER to lend an extra pair of hands. Cameron welcomed her help gratefully, not even hesitating to hand her a stack of patient's files to go over. Knowing how swamped the Emergency Room could get, as well as how overworked the attending always seemed to be, Remy carried out her assigned job without asking twice. She spent most of the day down there, filling in dozens of charts and files in between stitching up injured patients. Eventually the brunette was paged to return upstairs, but luckily, the ER had managed to clear up a bit by then. After signing her last chart, Thirteen made her way back to the nurse's station to hand in the folder. By coincidence, Cameron happened to be there to receive it.

"I've been called back upstairs," Remy told her friend apologetically. "Sorry." She wished she could've stayed longer to help.

Allison reached to touch her forearm. "Don't be silly. You've done so much." She took a good look around to see that things were more or less under control, at least for the moment. She then turned back at the younger doctor. "Thank you," she said appreciatively.

Remy noticed her tired eyes and weary stature. She smiled softly and merely shrugged in response. "Hey, it's no problem."

She always did that. She always waved off her acts of goodwill and kindness as if they weren't a big deal, always dismissing any kind of praise or expression of gratitude. Allison admired that sense of selflessness and humility, and admitted to herself that that was one of the many traits she liked about Remy.

"I should go. Boss is waiting," the brunette said, staring at her annoying pager to find yet another message.

Cameron nodded as she glanced back at a file in her hands. "Alright, I'll see you later."

And just then... it seemed as if some sort of lapse happened within their minds as they were temporarily distracted.

One offered a cheek while the other leaned in to kiss it.

They weren't thinking. They stopped mid-motion, when their faces were just barely inches apart.

Allison and Remy froze for a moment, then somehow managed to reboot. With wide eyes, they straightened their postures and took a careful step away from each other.

What were they doing? They were in the middle of a hospital for god's sakes! A hospital that wasn't familiar with their facade as a couple.

The two doctors immediately looked around, finding that a number of people were looking in their direction with puzzled expressions on their faces. At that moment, they realized how unprofessional they both appeared. Unable to say anything, Remy turned around and left in a hurry without another word, leaving Allison speechless as well.

* * *

><p>They didn't talk for a while after that incident. There were brief greetings and forced exchanges when they passed each other in the hallways, only done because they were 'friends' and were trying to conceal the awkwardness they felt about the situation. They secretly avoided each other whenever possible, using work as a pretense to minimize their interactions around the hospital. They both felt so embarrassed for letting it happen – because it shouldn't have. They didn't actually kiss but they were close to it, and the level of intimacy they've displayed was certainly not appropriate for the environment of the ER, especially when they were both well-respected and high-ranking doctors.<p>

Remy realized that she could no longer go on like this. Her crush on Allison has developed so much more, it was far too difficult to control her emotions now. Being Cameron's girlfriend had become second nature almost, and the way she was meant to act was so _confusing_ – she was having an extremely hard time differentiating what she was allowed to do, and what she wasn't. What she could do when they were pretending differed from what she could do when they hung out as friends. And Allison's natural touchiness did not make things any easier...at all. Remy was finally admitting to herself that she couldn't do it. It was too much work; too draining, emotionally and mentally. She thought she could settle for a make-believe relationship between them, but it wasn't even remotely enough.

She was in love with Allison, and it's driving her mad.

* * *

><p>It barely took a few days before the rumors started going around. Gossip of Doctor Cameron and Doctor Hadley going out were being whispered from ear to ear, passed on with such level of secrecy because of the sensitivity of the matter. Thirteen pretended not to hear any of it, while Allison couldn't manage to block it out of her thoughts. What was she meant to do? Correct them? Tell them that, no, they were not <em>actually <em>going out, but they were only _pretending_ to?

What was even more frustrating for Allison was the fact that she couldn't think of anyone else but Remy. Sure, they were only friends, but the intimacy that they've grown so accustomed to displaying had become a daily habit almost. Her thoughts were _always_ on the brunette. It seemed that everything always leaded back to her somehow. It was close to the point of ridiculousness. Allison was completely at a loss; never has she ever had such a confusing and complicated relationship with another person. It was a tough task breaking down the particular aspects of what they were to each other.

One thing Allison did know for certain was her indefinite fondness of Remy. If she had to be absolutely honest with herself, she had to admit, despite all refusal, that she liked the younger woman very, _very_ much.

And it scared her a bit.

She was having all these feelings whenever Thirteen was around. She found herself to be in an exceptionally good mood whenever they spent time together. And when the brunette wasn't around, she would miss her, despite the fact that they work at the same hospital with chances of seeing each other almost every other day.

She was afraid to confess what she thought she felt deep down inside. It was silly. Implausible. No, it could never happen. This wasn't who she was, and she couldn't possibly... she couldn't possibly feel that way about another woman...

People were already starting to talk behind their backs. What would they think of her? They would be assuming things and the rumors are just going to get worse, and everyone is going to look at her differently... She needed to keep the situation under control. She couldn't possibly allow others to have such an impression of her... Because it wasn't who she was. There was no way...

Perhaps not being in a real relationship has gotten to her. Perhaps she was projecting some of her emotions onto Thirteen simply because she was the closest friend she had right now. And they've been spending so much time together...with all this pretending nonsense. Maybe she's just a little confused at the moment. Because there really was no way... She couldn't ever...

In a spiral of denial, Allison made a conscious effort to slip further and further away from Remy.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

She couldn't believe her eyes.

A few weeks without seeing her, and she waves _this_ at her face? How _distasteful_. This was beyond absurdity.

Remy had just walked into the cafeteria during her lunch break and was falling in line, when a couple sitting at a booth caught her attention. She nearly gaped at the perturbing sight. There Cameron was, sitting across from Chase as he chatted animatedly about something inaudible. Remy felt an unexplained rage burst through her. She gripped her hands in a tight fist and clenched her jaw as she stared at them.

'_What the fuck is he doing with her?_'

She saw the way he was eyeing Allison. She saw right through him and knew what he wanted. He was not a hard book to read, and she knew that Allison was well aware of his unwavering interest in her, even after she had ended their friends-with-benefits agreement. But the blonde woman was clearly playing along. And that infuriated Remy to no end.

Cameron once told her that she would never enter into a serious relationship with someone like Robert Chase. She said he wasn't her type, and even went as far as saying that she regretted the semi-relationship she had with him in the past. She explained that she didn't know what she wanted at the time, and that he was merely someone who was available.

What a bunch of bullshit.

A part of Remy's mind told her that she had no right to be this angry... Her jealousy was justifiable, but she shouldn't be mad at either of them. She was in no position to tell Allison what she could and could not do, who she could and could not be with.

But god was she upset. The more she looked at them, the more she wanted to turn away. By now, she had zero appetite left, and she decided to leave the cafeteria without another glance at her two colleagues. As she walked away, she began to rebuild all those walls that kept everyone from getting to know her. Cameron had made her soft, and she let her guard down. She had learned what it was like to be interdependent, and allowed herself to become attached. She had dared to expect something to come out of their friendship.

She wasn't going to make that mistake again.

The moment Remy left the hospital after work, she headed straight for a bar. If she drank enough, she would forget. Forget how much she loved Allison's radiant smile. Forget how the blonde's brows would furrow when she became overly-concerned. Forget how her gentle hands touched her arm every time she needed her. Forget how soft her pink lips felt against her cheek...

God, she felt so _stupid_.

If only Remy had more self-control – more discipline – she wouldn't be sitting here. She wouldn't be wasting time drowning her heartaches with glass after glass of burning alcohol. It took so long to get it through her thick skull. She regretted not listening to that small voice at the back of her head. She regretted it all, because now she had to learn it the hard way. She had to force herself to give in, to finally accept what her rational mind had been trying to tell her all along.

It was not going to happen.

Allison was never hers to begin with.

* * *

><p>She thought about calling her one day. She had the sudden urge to.<p>

Allison hadn't talked to Remy for over two weeks. They've had a few run-ins at the hospital, but they never really count, not nowadays. A simple greeting, a couple of words exchanged, and off they went again in different directions. They blamed work, but they both knew their own reasons for pushing the other away.

And yet, as much as they wanted to avoid one another, it was hard to ignore that ever-present feeling that followed them around. In secret, they missed each other terribly. They missed talking, laughing, teasing, joking... They didn't realize how hard it was to bear the absence of their counterpart. What Thirteen failed to be aware of was that Cameron was having a difficult time coping with her feelings as well. The older doctor thought that a little distance would help clear her mind a little. She thought it would do her good not to be so _needy_ and to step away from their fake relationship for a while to kind of sort herself out. But she was so unused to being apart from the brunette for so long, she was beginning to feel that the lack of interaction lately put a strain on the friendship they had formed. And that was the last thing Allison wanted.

Putting on a brave front as she shrugged off her initial hesitance, Allison dialed Remy's number. She swallowed as she waited on the line, feeling a little nervous for some inexplicable reason. It took a while before her friend finally picked up.

"Hello?" It felt surprisingly refreshing to hear the younger woman's voice again. God, she missed her.

"Hello, Remy?"

A split-second of a pause.

"Oh, hi Allison..."

The blonde searched her mind for something to say, but it was hard to overcome this newfound awkwardness she felt when speaking to Thirteen. "Uhm... What's up? How've you been lately?"

There was another short snippet of silence.

"Uh, nothing much. I've been alright... You?" Allison couldn't help but feel that her friend's words sounded forced.

"I've been good too..." She ran a hand through her hair with a little frustration, simply because she wasn't sure what to say, and her taciturnity was beginning to make her anxious. But she realized that she owed Remy some sort of explanation for being so distant in the past few weeks. "Um... listen. I'm sorry about not having time to hang out lately... The ER has been crazy..." She mentally kicked herself for making that excuse. "I was wondering if we could catch up sometime."

It took a moment for Remy to answer.

"Yeah, that'd be nice... but it's just that Diagnostic's has been pretty busy too, and there are a couple of things I need to take care of..."

"..."

"..."

"Oh... Okay..." Allison struggled not to let her disappointment show. "Well... do you think you'd have some free time next week? Maybe we could meet up and grab some coffee?" she asked hopefully as she twisted the telephone cord around her finger. She was insistent on making amends, as she felt guilty for avoiding the younger doctor.

But instead of a sign of consent, there was hesitation on the other end of the line.

"Uh, I don't know. My schedule is pretty full... I'll have to get back to you..."

"Oh..." Cameron blinked. "Okay..."

They became quiet once again, and all they could hear was the slight static from the phone.

Eventually, it was Thirteen who cleared her throat. "I'm sorry but I have an appointment to get to... Sorry we can't talk longer..."

"Oh don't worry about it... It's alright." As if they were doing much talking anyway.

"Well... see you at work."

"Yeah, bye."

The line went dead.

Silence fell upon the apartment with such a heavy presence, she could almost feel it physically weighing down on her.

And then...for some reason... for some stupid, inexplicable reason... Allison felt like she wanted to cry.

* * *

><p>She began to spend time around Chase.<p>

He was making such an effort to be nice to her... and he had always seemed interested. There was one point in time when she found him somewhat attractive. Maybe being with him would help her sort out her confusion with her feelings, and perhaps offer a bit more clarity and emotional stability. Maybe...maybe she was coming to realize that she needed a man in her life.

In any case, Allison blindly decided to give Robert Chase a second chance, ignoring all the uncertainties that she still had. He began trying to court her, and for some reason she let him. He was persistent; she was too consumed and lost to actually mind.

She thought he'd be able to distract her.

But at the end of the day... she couldn't be any more wrong.

He was moving a little too fast. A little too desperate and overly persistent. Like that other day, when he tried to convince Allison to spend the evening with him.

"Come on. We can grab dinner together and maybe catch a movie," he suggested in his thick accent.

The ER attending opened her locker and organized her belongings. "Umm... Maybe not tonight..." she replied.

"Allison. It's Friday night. Come on, it'll be fun." He sounded a little too excited for her likes.

"I'm sorry Chase... I'm not really in the mood..."

"Not in the mood?" he huffed. "Well, fine then. Maybe we can just go out for some drinks later and–"

Cameron slammed her locker shut. "Robert, please."

"It's just a suggestion." He shrugged.

"Look, I just want to go home and rest." She quickly moved to walk past him.

"Allison, wait." He grabbed her forcefully by the wrist to keep her from leaving.

"Chase!"

"Allison, just listen for a second."

"Would you please just let me go?" She yanked her hand away from his tight grip. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, her angered eyes boring into his lost and perplexed ones. Despite knowing that Chase meant well, she didn't feel like wasting energy on him. She had a long, stressful day, and she _really_ was not in the mood to deal with him.

"I'm sorry..." the Australian doctor eventually spoke up.

Cameron sighed wearily in response. "I'll see you tomorrow," she called behind her as she walked out of the locker rooms without a second glance.

And right then, as if on instinct, she thought of Remy, and wanted nothing more than to run and go find her.

Every time Chase crowded Allison, every time she felt cornered, she immediately thought of the brunette. It was her first natural reaction whenever she felt somewhat threatened. That was because Thirteen always took great care of her...always being the one person she could turn to. But this confused her – having such a strong pining for Remy even when in the company of Chase. Because she really did want to try to make things work with him. They had some chemistry, but unfortunately, not enough for Allison to declare the both of them in an official relationship. She hasn't even let him kiss her yet. It just...didn't feel right. Whenever he made a move, she pushed him away, insisting that it was too much too soon. But Chase remained patient because a second chance was given to him, and he would do anything not to ruin it again.

To be honest, Robert was a good guy. He was sweet and devoted. That was why Allison continued to give some him time. That was why she chose to give _herself_ some time to learn to like him, thinking that he could possibly make her happy.

In between trying to deal with Robert Chase, Allison felt that she needed to try to get Remy to talk to her again. They hadn't spoken in weeks. She wasn't sure what was wrong... That one phone call did not leave their friendship on good terms, and she needed to find out what happened that made her act so cold. As she went over the brief conversation they had in her mind, a thought occurred to her.

Perhaps... Perhaps Remy was still upset that she had been avoiding her. That could be it.

At that realization, Allison kicked herself for being so insensitive. She'd been so self-absorbed recently, that she failed to see how her actions affected her friend. What she witnessed that other night when she called was Thirteen pushing her away.

She couldn't live with that. Remy was too important to lose.

Allison resolved to confront her in person the next day for a much needed apology.

* * *

><p>"Remy."<p>

The brunette widened her eyes at the familiar voice calling her name. She continued looking at the file in her hands though, refusing to look up. Allison frowned when the younger woman reacted that way.

"Look, Rem... I know I haven't been around lately, and I feel terrible about it... I really hope you can forgive me, so we can hang out again sometime..." The way she sounded so genuinely apologetic, allowing herself to be open and vulnerable like that, got to Remy. Those stoic walls she put up faltered a little.

"Listen, Allison... It's not about that," she clarified, looking up into her teal eyes carefully. "It's just that I really have a lot to juggle right now... with work and with some personal stuff..." Thirteen distractedly looked back at the folder she held.

"You can talk to me about it," the older doctor offered. She placed a hand on Remy's arm and watched her worriedly.

But Remy simply withdrew her arm and let Allison's hand fall away. "It's nothing... I've just got a lot on my mind at the moment." She rubbed at her temples wearily. "Look, I have to go check on a patient. I'll talk to you later." And with that, she walked away.

Cameron watched the brunette until she was out of sight. It hurt to be pushed aside like this. But while Remy had every reason to be upset with her, she felt that there was something else eating away at her friend. The preoccupied look in her eyes showed that something bigger was bothering her. And Allison was determined to find out.

* * *

><p>"Remy, I need to talk to you."<p>

She watched as the locker door slammed shut, and soon Allison found herself face-to-face with Doctor Hadley.

"I'm sorry Allison...but I don't think now's a good time."

"It'll be quick."

"Look, I'm kind of in a hurry..."

"Bullshit." Her voice echoed loudly within the walls of the locker room.

The younger woman winced. This was the first time she had ever heard Cameron curse so bitterly. But she strived hard not to let it show that she was slightly intimidated.

"Cameron. I have to go." She made a move to walk past her, but the blonde was not having it. Allison placed her hands on her waist.

"No you don't. You've been avoiding me. Why?"

Remy swallowed and refused to meet her eyes. She ran a hand through her hair frustratedly. "I told you, I've been busy."

"Stop lying to me Rem. I apologized. I told you I was sorry for being distant, but you've done nothing but push me further away after that. Why?" the older woman demanded.

"God Allison, can't you just let it go?" Remy subconsciously raised her voice out of exasperation. She snapped her eyes up and they were locked in an intense gaze. Both were furious to the brink.

"No, no I can't."

"_Why_?"

"I want to help you."

At this, Remy laughed caustically. "Look, I don't need your help... I don't need anyone's help." She took a step forward and tried to push the blonde out of her way. But Allison wasn't going to let her. She grabbed ahold of Thirteen's wrist and pulled her back.

Cameron looked into her eyes and tried to read all the emotions she saw. Remy returned the gaze with a hardened expression, one that she continuously struggled to maintain, as Allison was standing so close with a hand on her arm.

And Allison saw that struggle. She saw how the brunette was fighting to remain stoic and unaffected.

A sudden thought dawned upon her.

"This is about your Huntington's, isn't it?"

Remy widened her eyes in surprise, an action that didn't go unnoticed.

"You're pushing me away because you don't want me to get hurt..."

Thirteen stayed quiet because she wasn't sure what to say.

"So that's why you think this friendship isn't worth continuing."

The taller woman furrowed her brows. "Allison... I..."

"Look Remy. I don't care what you think, but I am not going to let you get away with this!" she shouted. "You matter too much to me!"

That instantly got Remy to waver. She felt her defenses breaking down slowly, her weakness almost getting to her...almost successfully pushing her to give in. But she held her ground. She managed to take whatever strength that was left in her and shook her emotions away. She took a step back.

"Allison, it's not about that... You don't understand."

The blonde stood there idly as she looked up at her friend in disbelief. She saw that Remy was resolute about her decision to push her away, and that there was no changing it.

"Remy..." she begged. A final plea.

"Allison...this has nothing to do with you."

The way she said it was so pathetically unconvincing; the brunette couldn't even look her colleague in the eye. Everything about what she had just said was a lie, and even Cameron knew it. But before she could speak another word, Remy walked out the door.

* * *

><p>- end chapter -<p>

And that, my friends, was totally a lover's spat.

Yeah, things are getting pretty dramatic... Allison's obviously still struggling with her affection for Remy, and vice versa. But they will get together in the end. Promise. :)

Sorry for the late update... I'm starting college... D':  
>Hope everyone's doing well and has had a great summer.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Allison Cameron zipped up her champagne dress and took a good look in the mirror. It was perfectly fitting and managed to flatter all the curves of her body. After running a hand through her wavy blonde tresses, she proceeded to put on the accessories she had laid out on the bathroom counter, then carefully applied some make-up.

Despite always having been fond of dressing up, tonight held a different sentiment. Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was hosting a dinner and dance party, an event that was meant as a reward for the hard-working employees and staff, as well as an opportunity for some fundraising on the side. Allison initially wasn't interested in going; she hadn't been in the right mood lately. But Chase had asked her to go with him – insisted that she did even – and she felt a little too indifferent to actually say no. They were still somewhat informally dating, but Allison had already made it clear to him that they could no longer become anything serious. She eventually came to accept that he wasn't right for her and was honest about it. But even after telling Chase, he said it was alright and was willing to try to prove her wrong. She told him that he shouldn't get his hopes up too high, but he was stubborn and truly believed that he had what it took to win Allison Cameron over. And so she let him try.

A couple knocks on the front door told her that he was there to pick her up. Sighing heavily, she grabbed her matching purse and went to greet him.

"Hi Robert."

"Allison... you look beautiful."

She tried not to wince at the compliment as his eyes ran over her body, and decided to just respond with a simple 'Thanks.'

All the way to Chase's car, Allison felt like she wanted nothing more than to turn around and head back to spend the evening in her own apartment. But this was kind of an important event for the hospital...and being the head of the ER, she felt that she was obligated to go. Plus – Cuddy was bound to be on her back if she didn't show up.

As they began driving to the hospital, Allison looked out the window. If she had to be completely honest with herself, one of the reasons why she didn't want to go to this party was because she was afraid that Remy would be there. And Remy always managed to...get her feelings all mixed up somehow. Because even as she was sitting on the passenger side of Chase's car, she felt guilty. Of all things, she felt guilty.

Guilty for what? What does her being with Chase have to do with Remy? It wasn't as if she was...cheating on her or anything like that...because they weren't even in a real relationship to begin with...

'_I'm not even sure if we _have_ a relationship right now..._'

Thirteen... She shall always be a mystery to her. Allison thought of speaking to Remy again after their falling-out, but she was so uncertain about how the brunette would act if she tried to approach her a second time. Everything was so...delicate. She absolutely hated the situation right now, because she wanted to do something about it but had no idea how.

* * *

><p>Remy sighed heavily as she stood by the tables with a drink in her hand. She honestly did not want to be here right now. If it weren't for the fact that she received a message from Cuddy earlier requesting her presence, she would have spent the evening at home like she'd planned. But not tonight. All staff and employees were supposed to attend the event to support the hospital. Doctor Hadley, however, couldn't care less.<p>

She downed the slightly-spiked punch in her glass and reached to pour herself some more.

"Great party," she heard an all too familiar voice remark sarcastically. She sighed on the inside and turned to shoot a look at her boss as she forwent any inclination to respond.

"Where's your girlfriend?"

Dammit. He knew exactly which buttons to push and which things to say to irritate her the most. Remy groaned lightly and rolled her eyes, still refraining from speaking.

"Aww, did you two lovebirds get into a fight? Did she catch you checking out that new hot nurse in the ER?"

With her patience already running extremely thin, Thirteen decided that she had had enough of this stupid party, even though she barely stayed an hour. After downing the rest of her drink, she stormed off without another word, making her way towards the exit. If she had to listen to House for another minute, she would've seriously hurt somebody. The brunette tried her best to block everything and everyone out as she wove through the crowd. She needed to get to a bar. She needed to drink until she forgot her own name.

But just as she was about to reach the doors, somebody put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from leaving.

"Doctor Hadley!"

_Oh. Shit._

"Oh I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?"

_Shit...shit...shit... Who the HELL invited Mr. Martin...?_

"Oh hi Mr. Martin! I'm doing good, you?" She put on the best fake smile she could muster.

"Great, great! Been working on my campaign of course. How is work at the hospital?" By now, he had managed to grab ahold of her arm and drag her back to the party, which had Remy mentally cursing the entire way.

"Work has been a little stressful as usual... But that's a given. Otherwise, everything's good..." she answered distractedly.

"That's good to hear!" Mr. Martin always managed to sound so cheerful and optimistic. "And how is Doctor Cameron doing?" he added with a wink.

Remy knew this question was coming, and tried her best not to let it show how it affected her. "Ah... she's alright," the doctor waved it off, looking around the room to avoid eye contact with him.

But Mr. Martin wasn't as clueless as she hoped for him to be. He smiled understandingly and gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you're having some trouble, let me tell you this: Be honest with her, and give her some time." Remy looked up at the man with pained and questioning eyes. "She'll come around," he promised.

Thirteen looked away and nodded in agreement, although her head was thinking otherwise. She found that he was sweet enough to offer some words of encouragement, but she also knew that there were just some things that she couldn't change no matter what. She heaved a sigh and scanned the room mindlessly as she tuned into the music that the live band was playing.

"Oh look, there she is now! Doctor Cameron!" Mr. Martin called out all of a sudden. Remy widened her eyes and instantly snapped her head up to see the man waving at the ER attending, who had just walked into the room. "Doctor Cameron!"

_Shit!_

But what was done, was done, and now Allison Cameron was walking across the room towards the both of them in a gorgeous strapless dress. Remy chewed out the inside of her cheek as she took a swift glance behind the beautiful blonde to notice a very unhappy-looking Chase watching them. A series of mixed feelings hit her: she was dreading Allison's approach, but at the same time...a secret part of her felt extremely satisfied to see the blonde walk away from Chase.

"Hi Mr. Martin, how are you?" _God, she's standing so close..._ She was about a foot away from her.

"I'm very good, Doctor Cameron. Thank you," he answered with a gentle smile. "It's been a while since I've seen the both of you, hasn't it?"

It was true. Their fun outings together had been long gone as they gradually drifted further and further apart. Innumerable excuses and pretenses have been given to their friends as invitations were politely declined. When asked why, the women simply made up their own respective reasons – whether being work, an ailment, or some other make-believe commitment. So both were a little embarrassed when they heard Mr. Martin's remark, because even he managed to notice their growing rift.

Thirteen was the first to comment on it. "Yeah, we've been pretty swamped with work lately..." she lied straightforwardly.

Cameron nodded in accordance. "We've been getting a lot of patients this month... Sorry that we've been kind of MIA..."

"Oh that's alright – I understand how busy work can be. But I am _very_ glad to see you two again." He grasped Thirteen's shoulder lightly and gave her a knowledgeable look. "Now, I should probably go find Doctor Cuddy and allow you both to continue your evening together." He gave the two women another smile before turning to walk away.

Remy was afraid that he would do that. Now she was left alone to fend for herself. She had already walked away from Allison once; she hadn't been anticipating another chat with her so soon. But Remy knew for certain that the second time around, she wouldn't be able to get away with it so easily. Cameron wouldn't let her.

Allison obviously saw the clear signs of struggle over her face. The brunette wouldn't even look at her. But out of the corner of her eye, Allison noted that Mr. Martin was looking in their direction. Because Remy wasn't doing anything, she decided to take some form of action herself. She carefully reached out and grabbed ahold of Thirteen's hand, which elicited a surprised response from the younger woman. But before anything was said between them, Cameron began leading her colleague towards the crowded dance floor. She didn't care that other people from the hospital were watching, and she especially didn't care that Chase was watching.

Remy let the blonde drag her past several couples and into the middle of the room, all while feeling reluctant and wary of Allison's intentions. She was done playing this game, and wanted nothing more than to move on. She was too exhausted to deal with this anymore.

When they stopped walking, Allison turned to face her. They watched each other with cautious eyes, exchanging mixed emotions that neither could read. It's been a while since they've had that heated talk in the locker room, and even longer since they've last put up a facade as a couple; they weren't entirely sure how to act. But since they were already standing in the middle of the dance floor...since music was playing and the people surrounding them were dancing...they eventually figured that they should probably follow suit as well. It was all just an act anyway, an act put up for Mr. Martin to see.

Allison was the first to move. She took a timid step closer to Remy and slowly placed her hands on her shoulders. It took a lot of effort for the brunette not to look too affected as she moved her own hands onto Cameron's waist.

They swayed to the slow music for a while, neither daring to make direct eye contact. Tension filled the air between them, so much that it almost felt physical...almost tangible. Cameron had a hard time dealing with the silence, but she wasn't quite sure what to do, or what to say.

"I don't think Chase will be very happy about this..." Remy spoke up all of a sudden. Allison snapped her blue eyes up, unsure of how she felt about her words.

"It doesn't matter," she answered softly.

They stayed quiet for a moment as they moved to the music in the background. "House is probably celebrating though," Remy added thoughtfully. The unexpected comment and the way she said it made Allison chuckle. She forgot how easy it was for Thirteen to make her laugh.

After that thought, Allison felt a little disappointed. She hadn't been laughing as much ever since the two of them had their falling-out a few weeks ago. And there were times when she would be sitting at the desk in her office, or waiting in line at the cafeteria, or driving home after work, when she would feel this intense longing for Remy's company. Those were the times when she would want nothing more than to call her up on the phone. She would have her number on the screen, but after moments of deliberation, she would always chicken out at the last second and cancel the call immediately. But here she was, finally able to spend time with the brunette again after being apart for so long. Here she was, wrapped in her protective arms. She had to be honest with herself – it was a wonderful feeling.

Unable to resist the temptation, Allison leaned in even closer and rested her head against Remy's shoulder. She didn't even think. All she wanted right now was to be with her, and for the first time, she allowed herself to give in to that longing impulse.

"I missed you."

That was it. The moment those words left Allison's lips, Remy gave up the fight. All this time, she had been trying so hard... so hard not to let it get to her. She had been trying her best to remain as detached and unaffected as she possibly could. But her conscious resistance had already begun to falter when Allison moved closer. And now...her proximity, her touch, her scent...the words she just said... _everything_ was just too much to handle. She couldn't do this anymore. She really couldn't.

"Allison... I can't..." she spoke with a voice so full of conflict. The lump in her throat prevented her from continuing.

Cameron pulled away slightly to look up into weary, grey eyes. "Remy, please, just talk to me. I need to know why you're acting like this..."

Remy raced her mind for the right words to say...but it was too difficult.

"Is it really your Huntington's?"

At that, the younger woman shook her head. "I told you, it's not really about that..."

When Allison had first mentioned the chorea, Remy was taken aback. She was so surprised that the blonde even considered it – that she was so mindful of how it affected the both of them. She had taken time to think about Remy, and she valued their friendship so much that she even went as far as to think about the future between them. In her own way, Allison had promised to be there for her, and Remy knew fully well just how big of a commitment that was. Perhaps if she wasn't in love with her, things could be a little different... But she _was_, and there was no changing it. She couldn't let this drag out any longer, because it would only hurt the both of them even more.

"Allison, I can't..." she began again, but still having trouble finishing.

"If it's not your Huntington's, then what is it?" the blonde asked quietly.

Remy sighed and dejectedly looked into Allison's eyes. She looked so concerned and caring... Their faces were just inches apart, and the closeness was driving Thirteen crazy.

"Come on Rem... We're friends. You can tell me anything."

That did it. That tipped her over the edge, and nothing else could be done to stop it.

Remy tore her eyes away, not bothering to mask how hurt she was. With no restriction now, she leaned in close and brushed her lips lightly against Allison's ear. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "I don't want us to be _friends_, Allison."

Relishing in their proximity, Remy inhaled deeply and couldn't resist nuzzling her face against the blonde's. She moved her lips to Allison's cheek, then gave her a gentle, lingering kiss.

It took an immense amount of self-control and effort to pull away. Every part of her body wanted to stay in contact with the woman, but her rational mind ordered otherwise. When she stepped back, she gave Allison a final look and saw shock written all over her face, just as she had expected. She knew that she got her point across clearly, and had nothing more to say. Without any more words exchanged, Remy turned around and walked away. She headed straight for the door and left the hospital. There was no need to look back. No need to explain. She was done with Allison Cameron.

* * *

><p>- end chapter -<p>

There! Remy's finally said it!

(btw, thanks to _Pesterfield_ for helping me out with some horrible typos in this update.)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

She should've seen it coming. She was practically begging for it.

A part of her felt something – secretly hoped for something even... But all these emotions were just too new for her... too foreign... They scared her into hiding and repressing them.

She couldn't accept that she was falling in love with Remy.

She never expected her feelings to run this deep for the brunette... She thought that they were merely colleagues who happened to get along very well. She thought they were only feigning chemistry because Cuddy had asked them to do so as a favor to help out the hospital. And last but not least, she thought her affection for Remy was entirely platonic.

But it's just that...after every outing they spent together, Allison found herself liking the younger woman more and more. She initially attributed her growing fondness for Thirteen to the many times they've talked and hung out. But they began to feel so at ease with each other... They began to feel so accustomed to being a couple that they didn't know how they were supposed to act around each other anymore. And Remy...

Remy.

She's just so perfect. She always made her laugh – always seemed to put her first before anything else. And she was so…beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful. The way she spoke, the way she moved. Her attractiveness on top of her charming personality could make anyone, man or woman, go crazy for her.

Even Allison Cameron.

She could no longer live in denial. She could no longer avoid it now that Remy had brought her feelings out in the open...now that she found herself in a vulnerable position of possibly losing the one person she wanted the most.

To be honest, Allison had meant well. She didn't plan on toying with the brunette's emotions like that... She wasn't aware that she was sending such signals in the first place, because in her mind, she was only putting up an innocent act. But gradually, she found that she enjoyed those instances of intimacy, far more than she should have. Thirteen hadn't shown any signs of disapproval for the increased PDA, so she naturally thought that it wouldn't do any harm if she continued. But lately...Allison had been wanting to see more of Remy. When they were not together, she missed her. When they were, she wanted to take her arm or hand, just to have some sort of physical contact with her. There were times when she caught herself subconsciously staring, as if she couldn't take her eyes off of Thirteen.

This intense attachment alarmed her. She had never felt so dependent on another person in so long. Allison hated appearing weak or incompetent. But being with Remy somehow made her feel that her faults were unimportant – that they didn't matter. She could be completely honest and be herself without fearing that she might be judged. In front of Remy, she was allowed to be human. She was allowed to be imperfect.

Despite her growing feelings for the younger woman, she never thought that Thirteen would feel the same. Sure, she knew that her friend identified herself as bisexual, but she was not expecting for the brunette to swing _her_ way. Remy was gorgeous; she could have anyone she wanted. Allison didn't think she'd even be interested in her...

After Remy kissed her on the cheek and fled that night, Allison stood rooted to her spot in the middle of the room. She was so shocked, she didn't know what to do. Chase eventually came up to her, probably to ask if they could resume the evening together now that Thirteen was out of the way. But she didn't hear a single thing he said.

"Allison."

When she failed to respond, he only got irritated. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder to call her attention.

"Chase, stop it," she snapped when he shook her as an attempt to snap her out of her reverie.

"Allison, are you even listening to me?"

She brushed his hand off of her shoulder. "No."

He stood with a slackened jaw as he watched her turn to leave. "What, are you going to just walk away now?" he asked with disbelief.

She didn't even bother to look back. "Chase, we're done."

They've always been done. They were never official in the first place. She hated herself for giving him another chance, even though she knew fully well that they wouldn't work out before they even began. She knew she was just being a coward. There had never been anything serious between her and Robert Chase. She was only afraid. Afraid of the gossips around the hospital about her and the brunette, and the things that people had been whispering behind her back. She had all these new feelings for a woman and she just didn't know what to do about it. She thought it wasn't right; she thought she was only confused.

She couldn't be more wrong.

Allison was too tired of pretending. Too tired of making herself unhappy. She wanted to be with Remy and nobody else. It took her so long to realize that...and it took her even longer to fully accept it. But she couldn't care less now. She didn't care what anyone else thought of her. All she wanted was Remy.

* * *

><p>She left the hospital and flagged down a cab as quick as possible. She said Remy's address in such a rush that the driver had to ask her to repeat a few times before he finally got it. Not even a minute after leaving the hospital's entrance, they hit a red light. Allison ran her hand through her hair in frustration as she tried her best to be patient and to convince herself that the taxi driver was doing all that he could to get her to their destination. After what seemed like an hour in inexplicable traffic, they finally stopped in front of Remy's apartment building. Allison shoved a bunch of bills in the driver's hand, not even bothering to count if she gave him the right amount, and promptly exited the vehicle. With a heavy heart and a lump in her throat, she walked up the steps of the front porch.<p>

All throughout the cab ride, she'd been searching for the right words to say. Anything to make the brunette take her. Anything for one chance.

But the mere thought of confronting her was so daunting... Allison couldn't decide on what to say. She didn't want to mess this up. She couldn't mess this up.

Just as she mustered enough courage to reach for the doorbell, the front door flew wide open.

Allison looked up to lock eyes with Remy.

* * *

><p>She had changed into a pair of ripped jeans and a flashy top. She looked as if she was just about to go clubbing or out to some bar. Allison watched as Remy swallowed and tore her guilty eyes away. "What are you doing here?" It was more of a derogatory remark than a question.<p>

"Remy..."

"I'm sorry, Allison... I kind of have to be somewhere..."

"Remy, there's something you should know."

"Look, if you want to talk, now's not the time." She tried to move past the blonde, but Cameron placed a firm hand on her arm to stop her. She's had enough of putting up with this all this bullshit.

"Shut up and listen to me Rem!"

They instantly locked gazes again as silence fell between them. Cautiously, they watched each other. Neither knew exactly what to expect. Allison breathed deeply as she prepared to let it all out. She needed to do this. She couldn't prolong it anymore.

Slowly, she slid her hand down the brunette's arm and gently entwined their fingers. Remy's blue eyes followed the action and widened in surprise.

"I want to be with you."

* * *

><p>It took a moment for those words to process.<p>

"_What_?"

She said it so quietly, her voice in a quiver, that Remy wasn't sure if she heard her right.

"I said..." Allison repeated slowly as she looked down to watch their hands instead of looking Thirteen in the eye. "...I said I want to be with you."

Remy just stood there, stunned and overwhelmed with confusion. She didn't know what to say.

"I've thought about it for a while now. I've thought about _everything..._" Allison admitted hesitantly, still unable to meet her gaze. "...I was scared, and I ran away. I fooled myself into thinking that...that I could be happy with Chase... But it just didn't feel right... At the end of the day, you're the one I want."

They stood in stillness for a moment as both of them tried to figure out a whole wave of complicated and conflicting emotions. Then, as if finally having regained cognitive function, Remy raised a hand and gently tilted the blonde's chin to catch her eyes.

"How could you be so sure...?"

"I just know it." Although her voice wavered, her teal eyes didn't. Allison shook her head lightly and looked down with a sense of shame, the new tears in her eyes betraying her prior resolution to refrain from choking up. "It's always been you, Remy... God, I've been so, so stupid..."

At this sight, Remy almost felt her heart break. She softly cupped Allison's face to bring her eyes up again, wiping away the few tears that managed to escape. "Shhh... It's okay..." She tucked several stray locks of blonde hair behind Allison's ear and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. "It's okay... I'm here..."

Remy felt timid arms wrap around her neck, and she responded by pulling the other woman close by the waist. She leaned her forehead against Allison's as she caressed the small of her back to soothe her uneven breathing. She kept her eyes on the blonde all this time, who in turn, felt a little too embarrassed to even meet Thirteen's gaze.

When Allison's breath had returned to normal, the taller woman made a move to pull back. But the strong grip holding onto her showed that Allison was not having it. She looked up into Remy's grey eyes with determination, and slowly...ever-so-slightly...tilted her head and leaned in to close the small gap between their lips.

Their first kiss was soft, careful, and short. A gentle and tentative brush of lips as they closed their eyes to relish in the moment.

Their second came right after... fuller, deeper, and longer. Lips moving languidly against each other's with less restriction. They finally released all the feelings they've been trying so hard to keep locked away inside. Remy kissed Allison as tenderly as she could, pouring out her emotions with reckless abandon. Feeling her knees grow weak, Allison pulled the other woman as close as physically possible, returning her passionate kisses just as ardently, if not more.

As Remy gently cupped the back of Allison's neck and ran a hand through her wavy blonde hair, it registered at the back of her mind just how long she'd been dreaming of this very moment. How long she had waited to see if she could even get this far. She'd always thought of it as something out of reach. She'd always thought of Allison Cameron as someone unattainable. So many times when they were going out, Remy wanted nothing more than to take Allison's hand, touch her face, and kiss her. All those moments when the blonde showed her affection, Remy painfully wished that they were genuine, that they were not part of some act. What she didn't know was that they _were_ genuine, but Allison was just too afraid of what her actions truly meant. It was clear from the beginning that Remy Hadley had what it took to win her heart.

The two women were so consumed in feeling and exploring each other's mouths that they failed to notice the weather gradually change and the few droplets of water falling escaping from the cloudy night sky above. They only broke apart when the faraway rumbling of thunder interrupted their kiss. Moving slightly away from each other, they took a quick look around to see that it indeed began drizzling lightly. When Allison turned back to face Remy, she met her blue eyes shyly. A small, gentle smile graced the brunette's lips as she released her grip around Allison's waist and took her by the hand.

"Let's head inside."

* * *

><p>Fingers entwined, they made their way up to Thirteen's apartment in comfortable silence, unable to resist the exchange of affectionate gazes every once in a while. Remy guided Allison through the front door, closed it quietly behind them, and led her past the glass divider into the living room. They stood there idly for a brief moment, holding onto each other's hands, simply enjoying the fact that they were finally together. It was as if they felt this tremendous release of a breathe they'd been holding for so long.<p>

As Remy watched the other woman fondly, she wondered what the next step should be. She didn't want to make Allison feel uncomfortable in any way. She was fully aware that this was all new to the blonde, and that she'd most likely want to take things a step at a time. But the younger woman was so unprepared for this to happen; she was at a loss for what she was meant to do or say. Her smooth, Casanova charm didn't work here. Cameron mattered too much for her to take things in stride. Thirteen looked around her apartment as she carefully thought to herself. Her cool grey eyes eventually settled back on the ER attending, dilating a bit as she did so.

"You look amazing, you know that?" The compliment left Allison blushing even more than she already was. When she averted her eyes shyly, Remy trailed her fingers along her chin to bring them back. Unable to help herself, the brunette leaned down and planted a small kiss on the edge of Allison's mouth. The contact left the older woman's heart fluttering.

"I hope Chase kept his hands off of you..." Thirteen muttered, more to herself than anyone else really.

The remark left Cameron chuckling a bit. "Somebody must've been jealous," she said as a joke.

"I was," Remy answered honestly.

The blonde was quick to notice her downcast eyes and immediately regretted the teasing. She hurt Remy immensely, and she realized now just how bad it had been for her. Without hesitation, she slid her arms around the taller woman's waist and leaned her head against her shoulder in a hug.

"I'm sorry."

She felt Remy's arms slowly reciprocate, and a face bury into her hair.

"It's okay."

They stayed in their embrace for a while, consumed in their own thoughts as they recalled memories of the past few weeks. Now that Allison looked at all of their previous interactions through fresh eyes, she saw how everything pointed to Remy being the one she wanted. She just wished that she would've realized her feelings sooner. If she would've just remained honest with herself...she might not have caused Remy so much heartache in the process.

Feeling Allison's tense body grip onto her tighter – perhaps at a disconcerting thought – Thirteen gently stroked her back. "Let's not think about it."

Silence enveloped them once again, but this time, they tried not to dwell too much on the painful events that led up to this moment, and instead, focused on the present and the near future. Butterflies fluttered wildly in Allison's stomach at the thought of being intimate with Remy, and for real this time. No more pretending or make-believe stories. They were really going to be together.

Allison felt excited and nervous at the same time. She had never been with a woman before, even though she may have had one or two attractions that she kept to herself during her college career. This was a new relationship on so many levels – so different from each of her previous ones. Although slightly intimidated and unfamiliar with how to date a woman _for real_, she was absolutely certain that wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world other than in Remy's arms.

They eventually pulled back from their long embrace to look at each other. The younger woman gazed into Allison's bright eyes and saw that there was clear, unmistakable affection in them, a sight that warmed her heart to no end. She began playing with a lock of blonde hair, twirling it around her fingers, as she wondered vaguely to herself what kind of activity they should occupy themselves with next. Then a sudden idea hit her.

"Are you hungry?"

A swift expression of disbelief flashed across Allison's face, and she laughed out loud at the random, silly question. They smiled at each other as Cameron brought a hand over her blushing face. She soon came to realize that the taller woman was patiently waiting for an answer.

"A little," she had to admit.

"Okay," Remy responded decisively. "I'm hungry too. Let's cook something."

Allison chuckled at this ridiculous request of hers, but made no effort to resist when the brunette pull her along into the kitchen. "What do you have?" she asked curiously, already having made the decision to forget the emotional roller-coaster that had just happened a while ago. She watched with amusement as Remy scoured her cabinets and refrigerator to see what kinds of foodstuff were at her disposal.

"Pasta?" Thirteen's statement ended in a question.

"Sure."

* * *

><p>After having changed into something more comfortable than Cameron's dress and Thirteen's tight-fitting clothes meant for going out, the two doctors proceeded to prepare their dinner. They made use of the few ingredients that the brunette had lying around. Being the less experienced one, Remy let Allison make all the major decisions and simply did whatever she was asked to do. As she watched the blonde cook behind the stove, wearing <em>her<em> clothes, she smiled widely to see the older woman act so naturally in her apartment. She felt as if she could have kissed her again right there, but she made a conscious effort to hold back for the moment. When the food was all done, they took two plates of pasta and sat on opposite sides of the kitchen counter.

"Thanks for cooking," Remy said softly with a smile.

"Thanks for helping," Allison reciprocated.

* * *

><p>After having satisfied their stomachs, they cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes together – mostly in silence as they purposefully stood within each other's personal spaces. Every time Allison passed her something to dry with a towel, Remy made sure that their hands touched. Cameron obviously picked up on what she was doing, but simply went along as she tried to hide the silly smile threatening to spread across her face.<p>

Remy leaned against the counter when they were done, and watched the blonde keenly as she helped her return the last plate in its rightful place. After Allison closed the cabinet door, she felt eyes on her and looked up unsuspectingly. Thirteen was gazing at her intensely, with eyes speaking volumes and volumes of emotion.

It took two strides and a second before their lips met again. This time, it was full of intention and want. Allison was slightly surprised by Remy's eagerness, but couldn't complain – she was enjoying it just as much. There was barely any hesitance when the younger woman deepened the kiss.

They slowly moved back into the living room, passionately lip-locked the entire way. Thirteen gently guided the blonde to lay down on the couch and carefully moved on top of her, making specially sure not to break their contact. When Remy felt a hand caress her face, and another gripping tightly around her neck, she hummed with delight. With one arm supporting her weight, the other trailed down the length of Allison's arm and began caressing her waist. An approving moan, muffled by their kisses, told her to keep going. Furtively, she slipped a hand underneath the cotton fabric of the blonde's borrowed shirt, slowly causing the hem to ride further up...and up...and...

Allison snapped her eyes open and abruptly jerked her lips away. She looked down her body to see Thirteen's hand underneath her shirt, literally inches away from her panting chest. She then turned her attention back up to meet the brunette's apologetic gaze.

"Sorry..." They both said at the same time. Cameron was sorry for instinctively moving away, while Thirteen was sorry for her earlier behavior. The younger doctor timidly retracted her rogue hand and straightened out the blonde's shirt.

"I'm sorry," Remy said again, dipping her head down slightly with embarrassment at her lack of self-control. She mentally cursed her raging hormones. "I know it's a bit too fast..."

Seeing how much she cared about doing this right, Allison couldn't help but smile. She gently reached up to cup the other woman's face. "Just a little."

When she moved to close the gap between them again, Remy found herself grinning slightly against her soft lips. The brunette pulled away shortly and leaned her forehead against Allison's. "I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

Cameron smirked. She took Thirteen's hands and set them on her hips. "Keep them here."

"Yes ma'am."

They smiled at each other and gradually leaned in again, returning to their passionate kissing. They had to admit, this was by far the best evening they've ever spent together.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorryyyy. D: Got sucked into the hurricane known as college, and the piles of work that come along with it. I haven't forgotten about this though. Just a little writer's block as I'm still brainstorming on the best way to finish this off. Here's a little bit for now. :)

(Me rambling: By the way... I'm sure most of you, if not all, have seen Thirteen's last episode on House... Words cannot express how torn I am to see her leave. I watched House for her, and now that she's gone, I don't see anymore reason to. I'm clearly going through withdrawals. Hopefully, it'll eventually result in some more much-needed Camteen.)

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

They actually spent much of the rest of the night talking about trivial, everyday things in light-hearted conversation, free of pressure of any kind. The both of them were already so exhausted by the past month of emotional roller-coaster; they didn't even want to think at the moment. They simply wanted to be together and leave it at that.

The two doctors had been secretly worried about some level of unresolved awkwardness remaining between them, but oddly enough, there was no tension at all as they faced each other on the couch and chatted away while sipping glasses of wine. In all honesty, they felt like how they were before – naturally comfortable with one another. Except now, they were _much _more comfortable with their physical intimacy.

They spoke casually about matters of little significance, of their own personal likes and dislikes, of food, of music...ranging from generalities to specificities – though much of it they already knew. All throughout their conversation, they barely took their eyes off of each other. They observed, admired, and memorized every moment, from the unique timbre of Allison's laugh to Remy's charming sideways smirk. Being together just made them feel so... deliriously happy. For once, things felt right between them.

After having finished the last drop of wine in her glass, Remy set it on the coffee table right next to Allison's. When she looked up, she found the blonde watching her, almost curiously so. The alcohol had already been working its magic, making the two women rather loose. Thirteen watched as the ER attending tangled their legs together at the center of the couch, giving her a shy smile as she did so. They locked gazes for a while, staring deep into each other's eyes as if to read what the other was thinking at the moment. When Remy's grin turned into a smirk, Allison knew something was up. And she was right, for the brunette began to sit up and inched closer and closer to her side of the couch. The younger woman moved between her legs and advanced until she was hovering right above Allison, effectively diminishing their distance. Gently, she leaned in so that their foreheads and their noses touched. The blonde affectionately reached a hand up to twirl a lock of soft brown hair in her fingers, as her heart drummed rapidly in anticipation.

Finally, Thirteen could no longer stand the lack of intimate contact. She closed the gap between their lips and gave Allison a sweet kiss. The older woman didn't hesitate to respond as she moved her arms around Remy's neck to bring her body closer. Their kisses weren't rushed; they were slow, tender, and in every way romantic. The brunette eventually pulled apart and instead, began trailing her lips over Allison's jaw down to her throat. With her neck always having been an especially sensitive part of her anatomy, the blonde wriggled underneath Remy's body as she breathed heavily and tried to refrain from moaning.

"Rem..." she gasped, out of breath.

Once her attention had been called, she moved her head back up. Before having the chance to ask what, she felt lips cover her own almost instantly.

* * *

><p>Allison stayed over that night. It was late and she was a little too intoxicated (by Thirteen and by the red wine) to be in the right state of mind to head home by herself. So as professional, high-ranking doctors, they mutually decided it'd be 'most ethical' for her to stay. They didn't do anything more than make out like two hormonal teenagers though, remaining mindful of the pace they were going. Remy kept herself in check by making sure they weren't moving too fast, taking into account how comfortable the other woman really was with all of this. So although Allison slept on her bed that night, Remy made extra sure not to let her hands wander too much. However, it turned out that her prior resolution proved to be much more difficult than she had expected, as Allison practically latched her slender arms around the brunette as soon as their heads hit the pillows. She couldn't complain though; her bed was much warmer with Allison by her side.<p>

* * *

><p>Allison woke up the next day to the faraway sound of a vehicle passing by the streets outside, accompanied by the chirping of birds indicating that day has come. She breathed deeply as she stirred from her slumber. After gradually blinking her eyes open, she became faintly aware of what seemed to be unfamiliar surroundings. Confusion and a hint of panic hit her, which was quickly overridden as soon as she realized that her head had been buried against someone's soft skin – more specifically, a certain brunette's shoulder. At the recollection of the night before, Allison felt a smile threatening to take over her features. Slowly, she propped herself up to take a peek at the woman sleeping next to her on the bed. Remy laid there with her head to one side, mouth slightly open, with her brown hair in a pretty mess. Allison bit her lip to refrain from laughing. As silently as she could, she sat herself up, yawning as she stretched her arms out. A quick glance at a clock on the nightstand told her it was half past noon. She gaped at the digital numbers – she couldn't remember the last time she woke up after twelve. Last night was probably the best she had ever slept in weeks.<p>

Smiling again to herself, Cameron turned back to watch her brunette as she slept. No words at the moment could describe how happy she felt to be with her. She just hated herself for dragging it out for so long – for denying her feelings even though she knew where they laid. But now that she'd taken that leap, she realized that she couldn't care less about what anyone thought of her. One look at Remy was all it took to win her over. The attraction was clear as day.

Unable to resist the temptation, she carefully leaned in until their faces were merely inches apart from each other's. Slowly, she planted a soft, lingering kiss on Thirteen neck, deeply inhaling her distinct scent as she did. When Allison pulled away, she noticed a change in Remy's breathing. The blonde smiled with delight when Remy furrowed her brows at being woken up, but softened her expression instantly when their blue eyes met.

"Hi." Allison spoke slightly above a whisper, as if afraid to ruin the moment between them.

Remy simply smiled in return as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Hi."

She then laid there for a moment, looking up to watch the blonde fondly as the previous day caught up to her.

"Did you sleep well?"

Allison nodded. "Very."

The younger woman grinned. "Good."

Languorously, she sat herself up on the bed and ran a hand through her unruly brown locks. For a while, they just gazed at each other. A part of them was still in disbelief that the night before had actually happened. It all seemed too good to be true. But here they were, sitting in each other's presence as living proof that they were, in fact, together.

Remy smiled sleepily as she reached out to gently touch Allison's face. Never would she have imagined the blonde feeling the same way for her. It all seemed to be wishful thinking. When Allison showed up at her doorstep and took her hand, she could barely register that it was really happening. She had wanted this for so long...

When she felt the same fingers entwine with her own once more, she was snapped out of her thoughts. Remy gazed into Allison's eyes and felt her heart flutter at the smitten look she was given. It excited her to no end, the mere thought of Cameron returning her feelings. And the slight blush spreading across the blonde's cheeks was incredibly adorable. Thirteen beamed.

"Breakfast?"

If possible, the blonde's eyes lit up even more.

"Yes, please."

* * *

><p>Remy felt like having pancakes so that was exactly what they had – it didn't matter that it was already the afternoon. She paid special attention and watched intently while Allison taught her how to make the batter from scratch. Of course, in the process of mixing the ingredients together, Thirteen had to make a couple of unnecessarily teasing comments that resulted in her getting flour on her face – which then, inevitably, resulted in a brief flour fight in the kitchen.<p>

When the two doctors finally felt like they were done acting like children, they settled next to each other at the kitchen counter to eat their pancakes. Savoring the sweet taste of maple syrup as they satisfied their stomachs, they felt like the day couldn't get any better.

While Remy sipped at her decaf, she watched Allison fondly – her blonde hair in a tousle, with a dash of flour on her cheek and her nose.

_That cute nose of hers..._

Leaning with her head on one hand, Remy reached the other up to brush some of the white powder off the older woman's face. Allison caught her eyes and felt blood rush to her cheeks once again, like the many other times the brunette had managed to make her feel all flustered. Cameron trailed her eyes over Thirteen's delicate face, smiling when she noted how messy she looked as well. Unable to help herself, the blonde reached out and shyly tugged on Remy's shirt to bring her closer. Always the one to comply to Allison's wants and needs, Remy couldn't find it in her to resist.

Their lips melted into each others' in the most perfect of ways. Slow, soft, and sweet kisses, made even sweeter by the flavor of sugary syrup that still lingered in their mouths. Eyes fluttered shut to heighten their senses that much more. Tongues re-exploring...feeling...tasting.

When they pulled apart, they rested their foreheads against each others, both sporting smiles on their faces.

"Mmmm..." Remy hummed with content. She licked her lips. "...Those were some good pancakes."

Allison laughed out loud and playfully shoved her away. Thirteen chuckled along as she stood up and followed to help her do the dishes. Again, the brunette made sure to stand way too close to Allison than necessary, brazenly brushing up against her shoulder. The older woman simply nudged her back good-humoredly.

When they were finally done, Remy moved to sit atop the counter, her keen grey eyes never leaving the blonde.

"So... What do you want to do today?" she asked curiously, silently hoping that Cameron would want to spend the remainder of the weekend together. It actually made her feel slightly vulnerable, because the ever-doubting part of her was still a little insecure about getting the pacing of their relationship _just right_.

Upon hearing the question, Allison casually walked over and stopped in between the younger doctor's legs. Nonchalantly, she softly trailed her hands over Remy's thighs, causing her to draw a sharp intake of breath.

"I dunno," she answered. "I think I'll just go home and watch some of the DVDs I rented."

Remy's eyebrows rose to the ceiling and her heart sank as she tried to read Allison's contemplative and serious expression. "Oh... Okay..."

When she began to look a little hurt, the blonde couldn't bring herself to keep up the facade anymore, and broke out into a cheeky grin. Remy's face went from being disappointed to extremely annoyed in a split second.

"That wasn't very nice," she remarked somewhat bitterly as Cameron laughed out loud.

"Who knew you were so gullible?" Allison responded in between giggles. She brought her hands up to cup Remy's face gently. Blue eyes met and a couple of seconds later, the jest was already forgotten. Allison brushed her thumb tenderly over the tiny scar on Remy's cheek and slowly leaned in until their foreheads touched.

"Don't think you can get rid of me that easily," she whispered, her lips ghosting over the brunette's.

Unable to find anything to say, Thirteen resorted to retort in the form of another kiss.


	16. Chapter 16

Hi there. :) Yeah, I know you're all mad at me for taking forever and everything, BUT, I've finished writing the story. (Yeah I know, _finally._ Jeez.) So, mental preparation - the next update, chapter 17, will be the last.

Oh by the way, I just noticed a few weeks back how I categorized this under Romance/Humor before. And I thought... hmmm there were a couple of chapters that were totally _not_ 'humorous' at all. Heh. I thought it was funny.

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

They decided to go out for a walk.

With shy smiles exchanged and fingers entwined, they left Thirteen's apartment. Cameron didn't mind that she was dressed in borrowed clothes once again. The jeans were a little too long, and the shirt a bit unfamiliar, but she felt oddly comfortable in Remy's clothes. They smelled just like her.

As soon as they walked out of the apartment building, they noted that the day was fairly sunny, which they were both grateful for. While the two doctors strolled somewhat aimlessly down the street, Remy watched their interlaced fingers and wondered to herself whether Allison was really okay with going out in public like this. Judging by the solid grip she had on her hand, she inferred that the blonde must've felt completely fine with the gesture.

Looking up from their hands, Remy's eyes trailed up the blonde's arm until they finally rested on her face. After a moment, Allison's gaze turned to meet hers.

"What?"

She looked a little confused. But Thirteen only gave a gentle smile as they walked along.

"Nothing."

The slight fluttering of butterflies in her stomach always acted up every time she looked into Allison's warm blue eyes, but Remy couldn't say that she minded too much.

They spent most of the afternoon wandering around the park, enjoying each other's company and the good weather as they laid on the grass. Work at the hospital had been more stressful than usual lately – and in addition to that, the previous falling out between the two women had obviously magnified the tension they felt in their lives. But now that things between them had been resolved – or rather, more than resolved – they just felt like they could breath again.

Both of them were still extremely surprised at how comfortable they were together. No awkwardness involved. It was simply an extension of the strong friendship they had formed; a continuation. Nothing much between them has changed except for the fact that they were more open and honest with each other than they were before.

Allison felt like she could talk to Remy about _everything_. And she would be there listening intently too, with genuine interest in what she had to say. It was endearing, and Allison felt so lucky to be with her. To be her object of affection.

She had actually been a little scared that she would have a hard time going out in public with Remy like this. That she might not get used to it and do something stupid to ruin her chances with the brunette. But she was quick to find out that this was not the case. She felt _completely_ relaxed lying beside Remy as they talked about nonsense and stared at the clouds above. More than anything else, she felt giddy. She felt excited to be holding Thirteen's hand where everybody can see, to show that, yes, she was with this beautiful woman, and they were _together_.

Allison propped her head up by her elbow and watched the younger doctor lay there with her eyes closed. And almost instantly, she felt a magnetic pull. There was just so much chemistry between them, overwhelmingly so, to the point that it was just too hard to ignore. Allison couldn't understand how she failed to see this plain attraction before. Without a second thought, she leaned down and nuzzled Thirteen's slender neck, giving her a soft kiss as well.

But instead of receiving the kind of response she was expecting, Allison was met with puzzling silence. After a moment of stillness, she inched her head back to study the brunette's face. She was thinking.

"Rem," she called out in a whisper so soft, a breeze could have carried it away.

A moment passed before Thirteen turned her attention to the voice that called her name. "Yeah?"

"What's up?" The way Cameron asked it told her that she knew there was something on her mind.

Remy stared up at the clouds for a while longer, clearly still very much absorbed in whatever was going on in her thoughts at the moment. Allison simply waited and gave her time. She looked at their clasped hands and began delicately trailing fingers over the bumps of the brunette's knuckles.

It wasn't long before she felt the body next to her tense.

"Rem?"

"Allison..." The taller woman now turned over to her side to face her. There was something in her eyes that was a little difficult to pinpoint.

"Yeah?" Cameron answered, albeit with a bit of uncertainty as to what was coming up.

She watched as Remy looked down at the grassy space between them, before snapping her sharp grey eyes back up again.

"I've been thinking..."

_And..._

"I know this has been great...and I hate to spoil the afternoon...

But I need to get this out of the way before we go any further."

Now she was scaring Allison. What did she mean? What the hell was she going to say? Cameron gripped a patch of grass in her hand with anticipation that she tried to hide.

"Allison... I'm in love with you... But I've been thinking a lot... And... I need to know if you're really sure about this." She gestured to the both of them. "My life is complicated. You know that."

Allison widened her eyes in understanding, shock, and disbelief. Of course Remy would be concerned about her Huntington's. Of course she would want to protect her from it. But to think that Allison wouldn't want to be with her because of that damn disease?

"Remy."

Cameron sighed heavily after calling her name. She reached a hand up to cup her face tenderly, lovingly.

"God Rem, you're so silly."

Thirteen had to do a mental double-take. "Wait, _what_?"

Allison simply leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Then she moved back and looked deep into Remy's confused eyes.

"I meant it when I told you that I thought about everything... Because I really did think about _everything._ Even your Huntington's and what it could mean for us. And even after all that... I realized that I didn't give a damn. I want to be you. No matter what other people say, and no matter what you think. I know that... that there will be a chance of you pushing me away... but I'm willing to be there to remind you just how great of a person you are, and how much you deserve happiness like anyone else in this world. Because you matter too much for me to just let you go."

When Allison finished speaking, Remy felt a knot in her throat, and tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't.

Cameron only smiled and wiped away the few droplets of tears that betrayed her. "So stop doubting us and just let it happen Rem." Her own vision began to blur too, as her emotions got the best of her. "I'm too tired of running away."

Remy stared straight into the love and affection she saw in Allison's eyes and felt as if her heart would implode. Nobody had ever promised to be there for her in the future. Nobody had ever convinced her that she had the right to be as happy as everybody else. But here Allison Cameron was, not only telling Remy that she was more than ready to be in a relationship with her, but also succeeding in elevating her sense of self-worth. And it was all the reassurance she needed.

Without a second thought, Thirteen buried her face into the older woman's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her frame tightly.

"Been giving it that much thought, huh?" Remy asked with slight hitch in her voice and a chuckle to lighten the mood.

Allison wiped at her own eyes and smiled widely as she returned the hug. "I guess I like you that much."

They let the admission linger between them for a while, and eventually pulled back from their embrace. It was not to let go of each other though. In a second, their lips met, this time filled with the purest form of emotion they could muster. Remy kissed her with all she had – anything to let Allison know just how much she meant to her.

* * *

><p>"Lesbian!"<p>

Remy looked up from the file in her hand and shot a look of irritation at her boss.

"Not you. I meant the _other_ lesbian."

Allison, who had just stopped by to hand over a couple of documents, rolled her eyes and sighed. It's been a little over a week since the two women finally, _officially_, got together. They made sure to talk about how they were going to treat their relationship in the context of work, and surprisingly, Cameron wasn't too daunted by the fact that her ex-boss would be all over them with provoking remarks, obscene gestures, and anything else he was capable of doing. And instead of worrying, she realized that she couldn't care less about what people at the hospital thought or said about her and Remy; it was none of their business. Even if it was a big and slightly intimidating step for Allison to be out like that, she wanted to make sure Remy knew that she wasn't ashamed of their relationship. In the end, they decided not to go out of their way to make it obvious that they were together, but at the same time, not to hide or deny anything when people assumed or asked.

The two women, however, have yet to get used to House's new wave of constant sardonic gushing and vulgar comments. They knew that it'd probably take a month or so before they die down. But at least he was completely supportive of them being together. Maybe even too supportive.

While Allison and Remy have been coping with House's silliness, the both of them were also quite aware of his deliberate provocations whenever they were within proximity of their ex-boyfriends. It drove Chase and Foreman _insane_, and House enjoyed every single moment of it. Allison and Remy would be lying if they said they didn't take amusement out of it as well.

"You've been coming up here so often, I'd think that you missed working for me," House told the blonde in a mocking tone. "But I guess it's all for the eye candy." He shrugged with exaggeration as his eyes landed on Thirteen. "Can't blame you though. That's why I hired her after all."

The smirk never left his face as Foreman and Chase noticeably sulked in their seats, while the two subjects of his teasing groaned on the inside, waiting for it to be over so that they could move on to more important tasks. Taub simply watched the exchange with quiet amusement.

Allison cleared her throat. "_Anyway._" She chose to ignore him completely and tried not to give her ex-boss the satisfaction of seeing her irritation. "These are the files of the patient's medical history. He's been moved to the ICU for better monitoring."

After dropping all of the documents on the glass table, she promptly turned to head for the door, hoping to get out of Diagnostics before another–

"Leaving so soon?" House inquired. "Don't you wanna hang out with the cool kids a little while longer?"

She sighed with exasperation. All throughout this time, Remy kept her eyes on her girlfriend, entertained by how she was trying to handle her nosy boss. The way Allison stood there in her glasses with her arms crossed was incredibly sexy. And her stern, authoritative voice especially...

"I have an ER to run, House. I'd appreciate it if you didn't waste any more of my time."

Without another word, the blonde spun around and exited the Diagnostics department.

Remy sat there with her mouth slightly agape.

"_Damn_."

"Feisty one you got there Thirty-One... I think you should keep her."

"I will."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Is Doctor Cameron around?"

A young woman at the nurse's station looked up from her computer monitor and instantly smirked at the sight of the familiar brunette.

"Hi Doctor Hadley. I think she's finishing up with a couple of patients... She won't be too long. Don't worry." She said it with such heavy implication that Remy found it hard not to roll her eyes.

Yes, things about her and Cameron have gone around the hospital in less than a day, and it was no secret that the entire ER staff already knew about their relationship. What was funny was that every time Thirteen came around, she'd receive looks and teasing smiles from every other nurse she passed by. She was almost certain that Allison had been receiving this kind of attention as well. But what's important was that they didn't gossip about them in a negative way. Surprisingly, they _gushed_ about them behind their backs. It turned out that the nurses just couldn't stop talking about how cute Doctors Hadley and Cameron were together – how they found the two women absolutely adorable as a couple.

Thirteen waited at the nurse's station and scanned the area nonchalantly as she attempted not to notice most of the ER staff watching her like hawks. Instead of feeling daunted by their attention, she just found them ridiculously silly. At the back of her mind, she wondered vaguely whether Cameron ever gave them crap about not minding their own business. As the head of the ER, she could probably get away with that.

"You know...people usually aren't supposed to loiter around in the ER."

The familiar, teasing voice caught her ear immediately, and Remy looked up to meet smiling blue eyes.

"I'm not loitering," the brunette simply answered. "I'm waiting."

"Well...if that's the case, I think there might be a couple of patients that just came in, if you're interested..." Allison pointed over to a random direction. But Remy smiled and reached out for her arm. She knew the blonde was playing with her, as she always seemed to be doing.

"They're not the ones I'm interested in at the moment...Doctor Cameron."

Allison looked up to gaze into Remy's smoldering eyes, and for a second, she couldn't remember how to speak. With the other woman standing so close... a hand gently grasping onto her arm... and the distinct smell of her perfume in the air... Allison almost lost control and leaned in.

Almost.

Until she remembered where they were and the ambient noise of the ER filled her ears once again. She inched back and gave Remy a playful, scolding look.

"So are you on break yet?" Thirteen keenly asked.

Allison cleared her throat and found her voice again. "I should be. But I'll have to check if there's anything I need to take care of here..." She turned around to face the counter and swiftly noticed that the nurse on duty was smirking slyly at her.

"No, no, Doctor Cameron. Everything is under control right now," the young woman answered eagerly. "I'll page you if something comes up."

Allison rolled her eyes dramatically at her conspicuous behavior, while Remy only grinned even wider. She was quick to take her girlfriend by the arm and drag her away from the ER. "Lunch time."

* * *

><p>"So how's your day so far?"<p>

Thirteen poked at her food a little as she pondered for an answer. "Hmmm, not too bad. Ran a couple of blood tests and took some scans for the patient." They ate quietly for a moment. When Remy looked up once more, she noticed a lock of blonde hair out of place. Reaching across the table, she gently tucked it behind Allison's ear. The gesture caused her girlfriend to blush intensely. To be honest, she had yet to get used to these forms of PDA. It wasn't as if she didn't like such intimate attention though – it was quite the opposite. Rather, having a relationship with another woman was just so new to her, and being with Remy made her feel all sorts of funny things in her stomach that sometimes, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. So she simply sat there all red-faced while the brunette smiled fondly in return.

"Uhm... Thanks..." she murmured shyly.

That only made Remy smile even wider.

"You're too cute, you know that?"

_Oh god_. _Why does she always have to do this to me...?_ As if Allison's face couldn't get any redder.

They locked eyes for a brief moment – the blonde recovering from her embarrassment and the brunette staring back with a certain fondness she didn't even try to hide.

"Well what do we have here?"

The two doctors broke their gaze and snapped their eyes up in surprise to see a familiar face.

"Mr. Martin! It's so nice to see you again!"

"How have you two been?" he asked, the broad smile never leaving his face.

Allison and Remy turned to each other instantly and shared a look that communicated a thousand things. The younger woman boldly reached a hand across the table to interlace their fingers together. "We've been great," she answered, beaming.

Allison smirked subtly. "And yourself?" she asked. "What are you doing at the hospital?"

"I'm good, I'm good," he replied. "There was a meeting held by a couple of donors that I was interested in attending. No need to worry now." His eyes then rested on their joined hands. "You know, I'm hosting another conference this weekend at the Marriott. We'd love to have you if you 're interested," he hinted.

Cameron gave her girlfriend's hand a squeeze. "We'd love to come!"

"When is it?" Thirteen asked.

"Sunday night, at eight. We have a couple of speakers coming in. I think it'll be good," he answered with an enthusiastic nod.

"I'm sure it will be." "You can count us in."

"Great!" He clasped his hands together with excitement. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you two wonderful ladies then." He gave Thirteen a wink before he turned around to leave. But before he could take another step, he was stopped.

"Wait, Mr. Martin!" He turned back around and looked at the two women curiously.

"Thank you," they both said, in the most grateful way.

The man watched them with a little confusion. For some reason, he felt that they meant something more than simply inviting them to the talk. But because he had an appointment to get to, he decided to shrug it off for the moment. "You're most welcome ladies," he answered, despite not feeling very certain of what they were thanking him for. Without thinking too much about it, he made his way to leave the hospital to get to the next agenda on his busy schedule.

Just as he was walking through the hospital lobby, a hand suddenly came down on his shoulder, and he was stopped in his tracks once again. He looked up, and this time, was surprised to see that the person responsible was the head of Diagnostics. "Doctor House..." he greeted with mixed feelings. He wondered vaguely what he wanted and secretly hoped that the renowned madman wasn't going to cause him too much trouble.

It turned out that he wasn't.

"_Thank you_," was all he said, with wide eyes and an unexpectedly serious tone.

Mr. Martin stared at him with bewilderment as the doctor said nothing more and casually limped away. Blinking a couple of times, the gay man stood rooted on the spot with confusion written all over his face.

"Hm..."

He turned around and finally left the hospital, feeling the most puzzled he had ever felt in a while.

* * *

><p>It was Saturday evening and Allison was over at Remy's apartment, as usual. That was pretty much how they spent most of their weekends nowadays. If it wasn't at Thirteen's place, it was anywhere else together.<p>

The brunette was lazily stretched out on the couch with a book in her hands, while the other woman sat close by on the floor, typing away at her laptop on the coffee table. Like any other week, work at the hospital always managed to drain them dry, both mentally and physically. So both doctors were more than content to spend a day indoors, making some time for themselves, without thinking about the rest of a world for just a while.

Taking a break from her laptop, Allison leaned against the couch and tilted her head back to rest it against Thirteen's abdomen. She looked up to the side to observe the brunette. Her gaze trailed from Remy's furrowed brows, lingered on her sharp grey eyes, and eventually settled onto a pair of pink lips. Particularly inviting lips too.

"What..." The younger woman muttered, obviously aware that she was being stared at.

"What are you reading?" Allison asked, sounding like a small child. It was only around Remy did she act like that.

"Jules Verne. Around the World in Eighty Days," she answered.

"Hmm... Great book."

"Yep."

Allison continued observing her girlfriend, watching her eyes dart from left to right, up and down the pages of the book she was clutching. The blonde then looked back to her laptop for a moment, and then looked back at Thirteen again.

"Rem?"

A brief pause before she got a reply. "Hm...?" With her head still on the brunette's stomach, she felt the low rumble from the vibration of her voice. Allison stared up at the ceiling.

"Do you want to make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow?"

It took another few seconds for her to receive some semblance of a response.

"Uhm... Yeah. Sure, babe..."

Allison frowned. Was she not paying any attention to her at all? She understood that it was nice to have alone-time while they were still together, but it didn't mean that she wanted a book to be prioritized over her. Those short, terse replies she got were quite upsetting. They hadn't been able to spend much time together during the week due to work. But now that they were, Thirteen didn't even bother to make an effort to talk.

But maybe... maybe she was just tired. Maybe she had a really tough week and all she wanted was to spend some of the limited free time she had relaxing with a book. Allison understood that a person like Remy needed a little space from time to time. It was her nature, and sometimes, everyone needs to be alone for a while. Her tiny spark of anger subsided for a moment, though she was still somewhat upset. The ER attending continued to think about their relationship and work, letting her eyes wander all around the ceiling of Thirteen's apartment.

That was until a sudden thought hit her.

"Hey Rem," she called out alertly.

The brunette looked up from her book as she felt like something was coming up, judging by her girlfriend's tone. "Yeah?"

"You know..." Allison began.

"We never used our 10-day vacation that Cuddy promised."

Thirteen widened her eyes a little, then eventually settled back onto the page she left off. "Oh yeah. Completely forgot about that."

Cameron sat still for a moment. The way she said it, her entire reaction, was so _nonchalant_, as if she didn't seem to care too much about the matter. Allison huffed and turned to face her unresponsive girlfriend. "Aren't you the _least_ bit excited about it?" she asked, no longer able to hide her irritation.

She watched as Remy slowly shrugged, and drew her eyes away from the book. The moment they locked gazes though, Allison felt something come over her – a wave of emotion that mixed relief and an ever-present fondness with a slight bit of annoyance. There was something mischievous in Thirteen's eyes, and Allison was quite familiar with this look... this look that she always sported when she was playing a game with her, or when she had some sort of secret surprise planned out. Almost instantly, the older doctor broke out into a grin – a grin that gradually got Thirteen smiling too.

Allison got up from the floor plopped herself down on Remy's lap unceremoniously, making her drop the book she was holding in the process. But the brunette didn't seem to care too much. Her hands were now eagerly wrapped around her girlfriend's waist, pulling her close. Allison slid her arms around the younger woman's neck and didn't hesitate to lean into her personal space, instantly locking their lips together in a long and slow kiss. Hums of delight were exchanged as they grew lost in their passionately sweet lip-lock. When they finally parted, Allison nuzzled against Remy's neck with a content sigh as they settled into a warm embrace.

"So when are you taking me on vacation?"

* * *

><p>- end -<p>

And that's it! Thanks you guys, for patiently enduring this crazy rollercoaster with me. I really appreciate all of your reviews. :)  
>I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I have writing. Cheers. (And good luck with finals. lol)<p> 


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